


Discretion is Advised

by xNekorux



Series: Mafia AU [1]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Mafia AU, Mafia Skin, Tango Skin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:14:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 28,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22999798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xNekorux/pseuds/xNekorux
Summary: They just needed to be discreet.
Relationships: Akali/Evelynn (League of Legends), Mentioned Evelynn/Twisted Fate
Series: Mafia AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1811860
Comments: 15
Kudos: 270





	1. Discreet

**Discretion is Advised: Discreet** _(Involves_ _ **Tango Evelynn**_ _and_ _ **Default Akali**_ _appearances)_

It's nearly been two months ever since she ran away from home. Throughout her life, her parents tried grooming her to take after her mother, who was head of the police force in their hometown in Ionia.

Being an officer of the law wasn't Akali's dream. She preferred being a rebel and always did things her own way rather than follow the rules that were always laid out before her. She was the exact opposite of what her family wanted her to be.

When she tried showing her family that the life of a cop wasn't for her, they refused to accept it and merely said she was just in her phase of rebellion and that her hate towards their choice for her would pass.

It was the final straw and so, Akali left her home in the middle of the night and never looked back. When she left, she may have some money she had saved in her pocket, but it was obviously not enough. Once she arrived at Valoran, she ended up living in the streets and resorting to pickpocketing to get by.

Of course what she didn't expect was to capture the attention of the mobs and gangs in the city. Apparently, she had unknowingly made a name for herself for all of the petty thievery she had done. It didn't take long for her name to reach the city's criminal network and eventually, she was approached by one of the mafias.

Initially, she was recruited by _Malcolm Graves_. The man gave her a deal that included a roof over her head, three warm meals a day and clothes to change in and cover herself with. Not only those, but the whole deal was finely sweetened by money that was just too much for her to scoff at.

A month being in Graves' Mafia though, she learned everything she needed to know to survive in the dangerous world of the mafia. She knew to not step on anyone's toes, make sure not to make moves that would put her head on a literal chopping block, and of course to respect those that held the power over the city.

After being taught all of that within a single month, one of Graves' friends, Tobias "Twisted" Fate took her from his friend's hands and into his infamous _Thieves Guild_.

Want something stolen? In or out of the city, it was Fate that people called.

Want a few numbers to be altered for everything to 'fairly' add up? You guessed right, that's also a forte of Fate's group.

Want a sweep job be done in a hush-hush manner? Yep, it's Fate's time to shine yet again.

Akali settled comfortably in her new home. Unlike in Graves' mafia, which had most of them always staying at this estate he had bought at the outskirts of the city, she now lived in one of the little apartments found in outer part of the business district in Valoran.

It was no penthouse, but it wasn't like the typical shithole in lowtown. It may not be extravagant, but it was decent, modern and comfortable.

Best part here is that all of this is paid for and she didn't need to spend a single cent. All she needed to do was finish whatever task Fate gives her, which either required her to gather information about someone for a client or steal some item from someone's posh mansion.

Akali was a true rebel at heart and being part of Fate's Thieves Guild gave her the final confirmation. She felt so _alive_ whenever she stole something and end up succeeding after with her escape. The rush of it all was exhilarating and she loved it.

Currently, she had a single sling of a backpack hanging over her right shoulder as she walked up to Fate's house, which was as big and grand as Graves' home. The two guards stationed at the front door recognized her immediately, one of them giving her a nod of acknowledgement before opening the door for her.

Akali nodded back before she proceeded inside, intending to deliver the papers she had stolen from the address that was sent to her by none other than the big man himself. From what she knew, their current client's a business rival of the owner of the files she had in her pack. It was yet another one of those typical cases she was usually tasked to handle.

"The boss home?" Akali asked her fellow lackey, who was just climbing down the staircase.

"He's still at Demacia." The guy said before nodding towards the top of the stairs. "Miss Fate's up there though. She's expecting the papers the boss told you to get. You have it?"

"Yeah, got them right here."

"Go ahead, then. She's at the master bedroom."

"Alright."

Has Akali mentioned that she has _never_ met Fate's wife?

Word around the group says that Fate was overly possessive of his wife and that he rarely allowed the woman to leave their home without him. Even some who've been in the guild for months haven't seen the described lady.

Those who have been part of the gang for a long, long time though, they say the woman was absolutely _gorgeous_ and that they somehow understood why Fate was always nervous about the possibility of someone attempting in stealing her from him.

Only trusted _female_ members of the guild were allowed to see and tend to his spouse's wants and needs.

It's probably why Akali was feeling more than a tad bit anxious once she reached the top of the stairs and was on her way to where the master bedroom can be found. As expected, there were two female guards positioned at the sides of the room's door, both dressed in black suits.

Unlike the pair, Akali had already taken off her blazer and was holding it with her free arm. Her sleeves were also rolled up, which unveiled a few parts of the dragon tattoo she had on the skin of her back and arms.

"Here for Miss Evelynn?" The one with short, brushed back, pitch black hair and carmine red eyes asked when she neared.

Akali nodded. "I'm here to deliver the papers the boss asked for."

The woman with long red hair tied back in a high ponytail regarded her with a full-body scan, her eyes eyeing Akali's ankle for a moment before stretching a hand out and saying, "Surrender the knife in your boot and you're free to go in."

"For real?" Akali asked in mild disbelief, but nonetheless bent down to pull her pants up a bit and withdraw the Swiss Army knife she had hidden in her right boot.

"Yes, for real." The redhead said with a lighthearted roll of her eyes. "Fate's orders."

 _'This must be Zyra and Elise.'_ Akali thought, glancing between the two as she handed the knife to the redhead.

She had heard about these two women. They've been part of the guild ever since it came to be and were known as Evelynn's personal bodyguards. The two of them were also the only ones that were allowed to call their leader _'Fate'_ instead of the usual _'Boss'_ title.

"All clear?" Akali asked after surrendering her only weapon.

Elise stepped towards her and frisked her for a moment, checking the contents of her backpack as well before stepping away, hand brushing her hair back as she said, "You are now."

"Leave immediately once she dismisses you." Zyra told her before turning halfway to the door, knocking twice and calling out to the lone occupant on the other side. "Miss Evelynn, a visitor."

A muffled reply was given and when Zyra opened the door for her, Akali gave them both a nod before stepping inside the bedroom. The wooden panel closed behind her with a soft click, leaving her in the company of the mistress of the guild.

Recalling all the stories she heard about Fate's wife, she couldn't help but think if they were merely exaggerating when it came to describing the said woman. Maybe she does have looks, but maybe it wasn't as _b_ _eguiling_ as most others had told.

"My, my, my..." Was the soft purr-like sound of a velvety voice that sent a tingle up Akali's spine, which prompted her to whip her head to entrance of the walk-in closet. Though the call was mere one word uttered thrice, it sounded oh so _smooth_.

The first thing she saw was a black, fluffy bathrobe, which lost her interest in an instant once she saw a pair of amber gold eyes that were absolutely breathtaking looking right at her with a curious gleam.

Akali probably would have pulled on her tie in reaction if she was wearing one instead of settling in tugging at her shirt's collar. She cleared her throat and shifted from her place, having quite the difficulty in keeping her gaze stuck on the woman's face rather than lowering any further.

Evelynn Fate, wife of Tobias Fate and mistress of the Thieves Guild, was like the epitome of lust, desire and absolute beauty. Platinum blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, well-manicured and red-painted nails complimenting her long, slender fingers, light skin looking so milky and delicate, a pair of legs that could go on for miles and of course, naturally pink and heart-shaped lips that looked oh so full and kissable.

Akali was honestly _speechless_.

"Your face..." Evelynn said, her eyes raking over her and nearly making her shudder. "I haven't seen you here before."

"I'm, _ahem_ , new in the guild." Akali managed to say, internally surprised that she was able to maintain her serious demeanor.

"May I know how long you've been with us?" Evelynn asked as she made her way to the plush red armchair at one side of the room, which gave Akali a brief view of curve of her shapely rump underneath the robe that clad and hugged her body.

"Been a member ever since last month, ma'am."

Evelynn scoffed at the formality, waving it off as she settled onto her favorite chair. "I don't like being called _'ma'am'._ It makes me feel old. Remember to address me as _'Miss Evelynn'_ from now on, understood?"

Had Akali mentioned that the ones she had heard refer to the boss' wife as _'Miss Evelynn'_ were Elise, Zyra and less than a handful of female members of the guild?

"Understood." Akali replied, bowing briefly.

"Now, what is your business here...?" Evelynn motioned for her to introduce herself, her slender hands making fluid movements in the air.

"Akali." She introduced with a nod of her head before she started retrieving the papers she stolen for their client. "Boss told me to deliver these papers here today."

"Ah, those must be the files Fortune asked for." Evelynn murmured, holding her hand out to take the mentioned papers.

Upon the withdrawal of the folders, Akali handed all four of them to Evelynn, who accepted and laid them on her lap before turning back to her. To avoid feeling uneasy with the gaze of the vixen, Akali focused her eyes on her backpack, which she was zipping close at the moment.

"Tell me, Akali," Evelynn started, closing the folder she was holding. "do you know how to fight?"

"I do." Akali answered truthfully. "I know mixed martial arts and aikido."

Evelynn hummed, seemingly pleased. "Good. Expect a transfer of position tomorrow."

"I'm sorry?"

"You're young, experienced in combat," Evelynn then trailed her eyes over the little exposed parts of her tattoo. "dangerous-looking and last but definitely not the least, you're _cute_."

Although Akali didn't part from her neutral façade, her cheeks did color a bit with a tint of redness. She did get a genuine compliment from the charming woman in front of her.

"Dismissed."

Bowing briefly once more, Akali excused herself from Evelynn before making her way to the door. With every step she took towards her exit, she could hear her heart pounding in her chest, for she could feel the gaze of her boss' wife fixated on her.

The second she opened the door and stepped out onto the hall, she heard Evelynn snap her fingers _once_ before the panel closed behind her. She released the breath she was unknowingly holding, her shoulders relaxing. A few chuckles from the two guards filled her ears, one of them giving her what seemed to be congratulatory pats on the shoulder.

"Congratulations, newbie." Elise said in a jesting tone. "You've officially met Fate's wife."

"And _survived_ the encounter." Zyra added, chuckling.

"Survived? What, do some people actually die when they meet her?"

"If she doesn't like you, she would have snapped her fingers _twice_ and called our names once you opened the door." Elise said, giving Akali a nudge. "But, as you've heard, she snapped them _once_ and didn't call any of us."

"What does that mean?" Akali asked, her nervousness hinting only slightly in her voice. If it weren't for Zyra and Elsie's years of practice and training, they probably wouldn't have noticed it.

"It means," Zyra placed her hands over her shoulders and began leading her away and towards the direction of the staircase, slipping her knife in her pocket in the process. "we'll be seeing each other again sooner than you expect."

And those were the last words she heard before Zyra herself escorted her out of the estate and ordered one of the men to drive her back to her apartment. She tried declining, but when Zyra said, "Miss Evelynn's orders.", she just decided to shut up and go with it.

Throughout the remainder of the night, Akali thought of nothing and no one but Evelynn Fate, who continued to invade her mind until she fell asleep. She was a bit disappointed that she didn't dream of the woman.

Nonetheless, she was just thankful the mistress of the guild liked her.

Who wouldn't be thankful anyway?

Evelynn was nothing but a woman who looked, sounded and acted as if she was the living embodiment of the word aesthetic.

Now what Akali didn't know was the fact that she had shockingly piqued the woman's interest.

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

Waking up early has always been a must in her line of work. After having a mere sandwich as her breakfast, Akali rushed out of her apartment, took her bicycle, one of the first things that she bought with her first pay from Graves, and made her way to one of their secret outposts in the city.

Typically, the said outpost she was told to report to and get her jobs from daily can be found at the back area of some restaurant. After parking her bike and chaining it securely, she turned around to make her way into the establishment, only to find her path blocked by two people in suits. One of them she recognized as the guy she met at the front door of the mansion last night and the other being one of Evelynn's personal guards, Elise.

"Something you two need?" Akali asked, looking in between the two.

"Don't you know?" Elise asked, firmly but harmlessly grabbing her by the arm. "You're shifting work."

"Shifting work? What does that supposed to mean?"

"It's simple, really. You've been _promoted_." Elise said, leading her towards the black van waiting beside the sidewalk. She opened the sliding car door and gently pushed her inside, but Akali didn't just scoot in and let everything play out naturally.

"Hey, what about my bike?"

"Leave it. No one's going to steal a pathetic bike anyway."

"But I bought that bike with my own money!"

Elise exasperatedly sighed, rolling her eyes before looking over her shoulder and to the man that was just about to trail after them. "Kegan, make sure Akali's bike is returned safely to her apartment, alright?"

Despite looking absolutely reluctant, the man nodded and turned around to do the given order. Elise hummed and shooed Akali back, causing the latter to move deeper in the vehicle to make some space for her to enter.

The door was closed and they were already on their way to their destination when Akali brought up the fact that she left her bike _chained_ and that she has the key to the lock. What she got in reply was Elise laughing and waving off her concern.

"Kegan can handle that, so don't worry about it."

"But...-"

"What you _should_ worry about is how _ghastly_ you look right now." Elise said, clearly disapproving of her current attire.

Akali was merely wearing a pair of jeans, some worn-out pair of sneakers and a tank top with the black and green camouflage pattern. She was only dressed this casually because her change of clothes, which consisted of black pants and a white T-shirt, were inside her duffel bag.

"Fancy way of calling me and my clothes ugly." Akali huffed out, somewhat glaring at Elise.

"Well, in Miss Evelynn's standards, they're hideous."

"That's because my change of clothes are in my bag!"

"Oh really? And are they _actually_ much better than the one you're wearing?" Elise didn't bother waiting for a response. She snatched Akali's bag from her, swiftly unzipping it and checking its contents. She scoffed after her little inspection. "Plain."

"Excuse me?"

"These clothes are too plain for Miss Evelynn's taste."

"Why does it even matter if my clothes are too plain for the mistress?"

Elise's gaze flickered up to her before she dropped the bag on the car floor. "Because from now on, you'll be one of her personal bodyguards."

"W-What?"

Throughout the month she's been with the guild, she had heard countless times about people hoping they get the position that she was being said to take up now. Evelynn was known to be very picky when it comes to the people she takes under her command, and of course Fate always has a say in everything she asked for in the end.

Although, she had also heard that the people under Evelynn's department never end up drawing the short stick. She took care of those under her wing and made sure they were as comfortable as she is. It's the reason why the members of her part of the guild are considered the most loyal among the entire group.

"Aren't you and Zyra her personal bodyguards?"

"We are, but that doesn't mean she can't add you to her security detail." Elise said nonchalantly, seemingly sending a message to someone with her phone.

"What about the boss? He said yes to this _'promotion'_?" Akali asked, unable to believe she was somehow climbing the ranks so quickly in such a short time.

"You're a woman, you seem to be a promising member of the guild and have been trustworthy so far, so in short," Elise finished her text message and locked her phone, depositing it in her blazer's pocket. "he said yes and granted Miss Evelynn's desire to promote you."

"Why me though? I just got here about a month ago."

"That's for Miss Evelynn to know and anyone else to not snoop around and ask about."

"I'm sure there are others in the guild that's much more skilled than me."

Elise sighed. "Yes, well, Miss Evelynn took an interest in _you_. Not those _'others'_ you're talking about."

Akali wanted to ask the "Why me?" question again, but she decided against it. Elise did look like she's going to snap at her if she further questioned the decision of her unforeseen level up in work.

When the van eventually stopped in front of a prestigious-looking dance studio, Akali found herself befuddled as she exited the vehicle after Elise. She expected to be brought to their boss' mansion instead of the location they're at now, but once again, she chose not to ask why.

Elise motioned for her to follow and so, she did. They passed by a dance hall occupied by people undergoing what seemed to be a couple of lessons concerning waltz, which poked at her curiosity a little.

Akali knew _nothing_ about ballroom dancing. Whether it was the classic waltz or a steamy tango routine, she was as clueless as how blue her eyes are.

They came to a stop at one of the private dance halls, where they found Zyra standing by just outside the closed door. The redhead nodded at them before taking in Akali's present state of dress. The observing look made her self-conscious about her appearance.

"Were the clothes delivered?" Elise asked her fellow bodyguard.

"Mm-hm." Zyra turned to her left and picked up one shiny black and one plain white bag on the floor, handing both to Akali. "Change into the clothes in the white bag. The ones in the black bag is your suit. You'll be wearing it before we leave the studio later."

Once Akali gave a nod, Elise pointed to the restrooms at the end of the hall, wordlessly telling her to change immediately. Excusing herself in a murmur, Akali left to replace her _'horrendous'_ clothes with the new garments that was bought personally for her.

By the time she exited the comfort room and returned to the pair, she was wearing a pair of black compression pants with red stripes on the side and a black sports bra with red outlines. She had also changed her sneakers to the black and red sports shoes she found in the box at the bottom of the white bag. Zyra and Elise eyed her approvingly upon her arrival, satisfied with her new outfit.

"Good. Now," Zyra opened the door for her, gesturing as she said, "Miss Evelynn's waiting."

"What?" A shiver ran down her spine when she began piecing everything together. They're at a dance studio and she had literally just changed into an outfit perfect for dancing and exercising.

She can't dance though! Unless they wanted her to do a headstand and spin, she can't do shit when it comes down to slow dances with partners and other styles of ballroom routines.

"Just go in," Elise practically hissed at her. "before she gets impatient."

"Okay, okay!" Akali forfeited and decided to step inside the dance hall, gulping down most of her nervousness once the door closed behind her.

Leaving the two bags of clothes beside the door before proceeding further into the room, her eyes quickly spying the metal pole set up at the center of the room.

How could she even miss it? There was this gorgeous woman swirling around it, one leg wrapped around the pole and whole body arched as she spun in a steady circle. Her hair flew behind her ever so freely, adding more of the desirable effect her whole routine already exuded.

Akali swallowed quietly, speechless as she watched Evelynn spin around like a professional pole dancer. Only donning a pair of black shorts and a plain grey sports bra, the woman looked like nothing but a human goddess fit for seduction.

"Enjoying the show?"

Blue eyes snapped from the mistress' flat and toned midriff up to her amber-tinted gaze, which were looking through platinum tresses.

Evelynn detached herself from the pole, giving a flashy, swinging dismount before bending down and picking up the remote of the sound system. She lowered the volume of the music before approaching Akali, looking at her with a pleased expression.

"Miss Fate." Akali immediately greeted, only to give herself a mental slap when she realized she used the wrong formality. "I mean, Evelynn."

An amused eyebrow was quirked at her. "Just Evelynn? My, my, how bold of you."

Akali's face became a little red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for my stupid mistake. I meant Miss Evelynn, not just your name. Sorry."

Evelynn chuckled, coolly waving off her mistake. "You're forgiven. At ease, little mouse."

Akali had to stop herself from reacting towards the nickname. Although she was a bit flattered that the mistress of the guild had an adorable pet name for her, she found it highly embarrassing with how childish it sounds. This was her boss' wife though, so she can do nothing but accept it with a simple nod.

"Do the clothes fit you well?" Evelynn inquired, gesturing at her whole body for a moment.

"They're a perfect fit, Miss Evelynn. Thank you."

Evelynn hummed. "Good."

Despite already having a hunch on why she was there and why she was somewhat required to dress in the clothes she's in now, she still wanted to ask what was her purpose at the moment. As usual, she kept herself quiet, awaiting for any orders from the older woman.

"Do you know how ballroom dancing works, mousey?"

Akali held back a wince from the nickname, settling on shaking her head in reply. "No, miss. I don't know how it goes."

"Waltz? A simple sway routine? Tango? No?"

Again, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Miss Evelynn, but I think I'm not the ideal partner for any of those dances."

Evelynn hummed in contemplation, eyeing her through the wall-like mirrors at one side of the room as she tapped her chin. "Well, beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. Not that I'm a beggar in the first place."

"It's just a figure of speech, Miss." Akali nearly gave herself a facepalm for even offering a clarification, knowing Evelynn was more than smart enough to figure that out.

"I know." Evelynn replied, amusement glinting in her eyes once she turned back to her. "It's good to know my little mouse has some brains at least."

There it was again, that so called endearment, and this time, a light cloak of mockery was accompanying it.

"Come here, mouse." Evelynn softly commanded, beckoning Akali to come close with a finger. "I'm going to teach you how to waltz."

"What? But, I..." Akali scratched the back of her head, trying to think of an excuse to not come off as her refusing to obey an order. "...I have two left feet."

"Nonsense. You have perfectly good feet right there." Evelynn replied, the tease in her voice hinting ever so lightly. "Now come and take my hand before you regret making me wait."

Evelynn might be a mortal version of Aphrodite, but her sweetly-uttered threat showed and reminded Akali that she's still the wife of a mob boss and that she was there not only for her charming good looks. Of course she'd have her own version of dangerous tricks up her sleeve.

Stepping forward, Akali took Evelynn's offered hand and allowed her to lead them towards a much larger space in the dance hall. Once they stopped, Evelynn began telling her where to put her hands and how her posture should be.

Between the two of them, she was given the man's role in the routine, which required her to have her right hand intertwined with one of Evelynn's, while the other was on the woman's waist.

Akali could feel the exposed skin underneath her thumb and it felt awfully smooth and warm against her touch. She shifted her footing once and tried focusing her attention on Evelynn's instructions, not wanting to screw up this unpredicted dance lesson she ended up in.

"I'll guide you to it." Evelynn said as she herself got in the correct position. "We'll go through it one step at a time and have you get used to it before we play the music. Is that good with you?"

"I'm not sure if I'll pick it all up immediately." Akali replied, words filled with uncertainty.

"You probably won't, but that's why I'm here, aren't I? This is still practice."

"Okay."

Admittedly, the following moments that happened wasn't the most ideal. Akali cussed at herself in her mind for stumbling a couple of steps here and there whenever she narrowly dodged Evelynn's feet. She would rather trip on her own feet than step on the mistress' own.

There were times when she fell back or forward a little. She wasn't afraid of falling though since Evelynn always seemed to have a firm hold on her, probably to make sure there were no chances that she falls and ends up taking her down along.

"You're too stiff." Evelynn said after a few minutes. "Try relaxing and move more casually."

"I... I can't." Akali quietly grunted out.

"Yes, you can. You just have to try."

"I told you, I can't."

Evelynn raised an eyebrow with how annoyed Akali sounded, but she continued with her speech, especially since the other had her gaze stuck to the floor and to their feet. "You won't know if you don't try, mouse. Just relax and...-"

Akali huffed and stepped away, releasing Evelynn and abruptly halting their lesson. "For the last time, I can't. I came here to be your bodyguard, not to be your dance partner. I _can't_ dance, okay?"

If this was any other member of the guild, Evelynn probably would have called for Zyra and Elise and had them take her away and out of her sights. But no, she didn't do that.

Somehow, gazing into those azure crystals was enough to calm Evelynn before a pinch of irritation could even sprout from within her.

Akali was... _special_.

Although she's an outlaw like her and everybody else in the guild, there's still something about her that Evelynn found herself enraptured by.

Currently, Evelynn could see how frustrated the girl was with the fact that she couldn't dance the way she was expected to do. Akali's show of stress was more entertaining and somewhat adorable in Evelynn's eyes rather than vexing.

It's quite clear how Akali was irritated with the difficulty she was encountering, and it amused Evelynn and further piqued her interest. After all, if this was just anyone, they probably would have been so eager to be so close to her, experienced in dancing or not.

"My bodyguard or not, you're here because you're paid to do what I say, correct?" Evelynn calmly told Akali, auditing her with an unoffended gaze.

"Yes." Was Akali's muttered response.

"Now, you're going to learn how to waltz whether you like it or not." Evelynn closed the gap between them once again and placed her hand back to her waist and held the other with her own. She made sure their gazes were locked with one another before querying in a whisper, "Are we clear?"

"...Yes, Miss Evelynn."

"Now then," The hand on Akali's shoulder left its perch and touched her chin, making sure she won't be able to bow her head if she dared to do so when they spoke. "tell me why you're so stiff."

Akali felt a little surprised that Evelynn was able to discover that her being inexperienced in ballroom dancing wasn't the only reason why she wasn't able to relax during the lesson. It showed that the woman's observation skills was no joke.

"I don't want to step on your feet." Akali murmured, making a displeased face as she said the truth.

"Hmm, how considerate of you." Evelynn replied back, eyeing her with a small curve shaping her lips. "Stepping on my feet for a few times won't kill me though."

"Still."

"I asked for you to dance with me and if my feet were to be trampled in the middle of it, then so be it. Now hush yourself," Evelynn gave Akali's nose a tap of her finger before she returned her hand back to her shoulder. "and just follow my instructions and dance as if your life depends on it."

They hadn't even moved a step when Evelynn tittered and added a little comment.

"Because it kind of does, _mousey_."

Just like earlier, the moments that followed wasn't as graceful or as successful as it should've been. Akali knew she was blushing out of embarrassment when she stepped on Evelynn's foot for the umpteenth time. She didn't know which one suffered the most, the right or left, but she was completely sure Evelynn's toes were probably aching by now.

Akali had become more loose and fluid with her movements, but she would still occasionally tense every time she made a wrong move and ended up stepping on Evelynn's toes.

After an hour of the embarrassing dance lesson, Evelynn finally had enough of the mild torture she had put her feet through. She released Akali's hand and took half a step away from her, which automatically told the other that their session has come to an end.

"You need more practice." Evelynn blatantly said before following up with, "Nonetheless, I am not giving up on you. We will continue where we left off once my toes don't despise you anymore."

Akali winced. "I told you I can't dance."

"Yes, yes, you have. More than twice, even."

"Why are you so determined in teaching me how to dance anyway?"

"Why are _you_ so bold in asking me these questions?" Evelynn shot back, looking entertained once again.

"Sorry." Akali apologized when she realized that she was overstepping her boundaries once again. "I didn't mean to disrespect you, Miss Evelynn."

"You're lucky I'm in such a good mood today, regardless of the fact that you murdered my toes." Evelynn responded back, tittering at the last part. "To address your question though, I'm teaching you to dance because I miss it."

Akali looked at Evelynn, silently asking her what she meant.

"I miss dancing." Evelynn clarified, heading towards the duffel bag on the chairs at the side. "That's simply it. Any more questions?"

Although there were a few Akali could think of, she shook her head and said, "None, Miss Evelynn."

"Good. Now, change into your suit and wait for me outside the room."

"Yes, Miss Evelynn."

Akali exited the dance hall, nodding at Zyra and Elise, who seemed to have been conversing with one another before she had interrupted them with her exit. She murmured a quiet 'excuse me' before scurrying off to the restroom once again to change into the suit she was now certain came from Evelynn herself.

In just a few minutes, Akali was dressed out of her sports attire and was clad in a striking black suit. Although the blazer and pants were similar to Zyra and Elise's, unlike those two, she wore a red button-down underneath the coat and had a black tie with vine-like embroidery designing the material.

Making sure her hair was back to its pristine ponytail, Akali returned to the entrance of the dance hall. Just in time, too, since Evelynn can be found just exiting the mentioned room.

"Miss Evelynn." The three of them greeted the woman, who nodded back at them before dropping her bag in Elise's waiting arms.

"Where's our next destination again?" Evelynn asked as she started down the hall, glancing at Zyra, who walked alongside her like Akali. Elise was ahead of them, carrying the duffel bag containing the woman's necessities and her clothes from earlier.

"You scheduled a shopping trip and a salon appointment for today."

Evekynn made a disgruntled sound. "Cancel all those. Move my salon appointment two days from now."

"Of course." Zyra responded back, withdrawing her phone from one of her blazer's inner pocket. "Anything else?"

"None whatsoever."

With a nod, Zyra redirected her focus in calling the hair salon they were supposed to go to, doing just what Evelynn wanted and handling the rescheduling of her appointment. This obviously left Akali to be the only bodyguard that had no specific task to handle.

"As for you, tiny mouse," Evelynn started, turning her gaze to her right, where Akali was walking. "you'll be massaging my feet once we return home."

Akali had to stop herself from wincing yet again not only because of the endearment, but also the reminder of what had happened in the dance hall.

"Yes, Miss Evelynn."

"You better have the magic touch or else I'm having all your toes cut off." Evelynn nonchalantly threatened, flashing a sweet smile at Akali and puckering her lips for a second at her before stepping into the sleek black van Elise held open for her.

Akali somewhat paled at the threat, her eyes instinctively looking towards her fellow bodyguards for help. Due to Zyra being busy on the phone, only Elise caught her gaze. The latter merely smirked at her predicament before ushering her to board the vehicle as well.

With the casual threat hanging over Akali's head, Evelynn knew she wasn't the only one hoping the blue-eyed thief was experienced with giving foot massages.

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

Second week of being one of the guild mistress' personal bodyguards and Akali was still surprised she was still alive. She had probably spoken up more than just a handful of times against Evelynn's orders, yet she was still well and breathing.

From what she observed, Evelynn seemed to be fond of her attitude. She didn't cross the line completely, but she did love playing with fire from time to time. Even Zyra and Elise would exchange surprised looks whenever she said something she's not supposed to say so loosely in front of the amber-eyed woman.

Akali didn't push it too much though. Just because the reins were loose doesn't mean she can tear herself from it. She knew there were limits and Evelynn surely had them as well.

Within those two weeks though, Akali could honestly say that it's been one heck of a ride, especially with what happened between her and Evelynn during the woman's tantrum towards hers and Fate's anniversary.

Today, they were at a prestigious nail salon, where Evelynn was having her nails done. Akali and Elise were the ones present with the woman, since Zyra was asked by the mistress herself to prepare her attire for hers and her husband's dinner with two mafia leaders, Fortune and Graves, tonight.

"Refreshments, Miss Evelynn?" One of the employees in the salon entered their private booth, offering a glass of juice to the platinum-haired woman, who eyed the drink for a moment before accepting it with her free hand and dismissing the person.

Once the nail artist took their leave, Evelynn handed the glass to Akali, saying, "Sample it."

Akali nodded and obediently followed the order, taking a small drink of the cool liquid and letting the sweet taste of mango settle for a couple of seconds on her tongue. When nothing unusual happened, she returned the glass to Evelynn.

"It's not spiked, Miss."

"Excellent." Evelynn took the glass and drank from it, her lips leaving a noticeable red mark on the rim. "Drink the rest. I don't want my security detail fainting on me due to dehydration."

It had been hotter than usual outside, especially with Akali being clad in a suit. Elise was allowed to defy the dress code, seeing as Evelynn didn't react when the raven-haired woman had relieved herself of her blazer and decided to roll up her sleeves when they exited the van.

Akali had made a motion in unbuttoning her blazer earlier just to let some air in underneath, but Evelynn stopped her from doing anything when she reached for her tie and fixed it for her before walking inside the establishment.

So, yes, Akali was _immensely_ thankful Evelynn left more than half of the refreshing juice for her to consume for herself. She took a moment to step out of the booth and hand the empty glass to one of the nail artists that passed by, thanking them in a murmur before refocusing her attention back to Evelynn.

"Well?" Evelynn asked Elise, who had just finished a phone call and rejoined them in the booth.

"The boss has just left the airport and is expected to arrive at the mansion in an hour." Elise reported, tucking her phone in her pocket.

"Did he say anything about how he missed our anniversary last night?" Evelynn queried in a bitter tone, lips curled in displeasure. Beside her, Akali stopped herself from flinching in reaction upon her words.

"He didn't." Elise replied, before saying, "I think his reason of absence was in the letter with the bouquet of flowers he had delivered to you yesterday, Miss."

Evelynn rolled her eyes. "Ah, yes, the bouquet of flowers I burned. I never really read the letter. Why should I? If he has something to say to me in our anniversary, he can say it in front of my face."

Akali kept quiet as Evelynn continued venting to Elise about how vexed she was about Fate not even making an effort in coming home to properly celebrate their anniversary. She could still remember what happened that night with absolute crystal clarity.

The entire memory was just too difficult for her to forget.

_It was one of those rare days Elise and Zyra were allowed to take a break from their duties at the same time. Evelynn had dismissed them, letting only one of her three personal bodyguards stay on duty throughout the night._

_Akali watched with a wary gaze as Evelynn took the bouquet of flowers and a lighter with her as she made her way to the balcony of the master bedroom. She followed the mistress out, idling just a couple of steps behind her. Evelynn had shoved her husband's letter deep inside the bouquet without even reading the words written on the folded card._

_With mild disbelief and horror, Akali could do nothing but look at how Evelynn burned the bouquet with the lighter's help. The once small flame became bigger and bigger as the flowers burned petal by petal._

_The guards stationed just below the balcony looked around once the smell of something burning reached their nostrils. Eventually, they looked up and was just in time to see Evelynn launch the burning bouquet to the backyard._

_Thankfully, it had only landed on a single lounge chair before tumbling into the swimming pool. The guards rushed to put out the burning chair, while some of the cleaning staff took the needed materials and equipment to remove the ruined bouquet from the pool._

_"I ask him to be here for our anniversary and he can't even make time for it?" Evelynn spoke to no one in general, storming past Akali and back inside the bedroom. "But of course if this anniversary of ours involved a business meeting with money on the menu, I'm sure he'll be here before I can even blink!"_

_Akali mutely followed Evelynn, keeping her distance and staying at the sidelines, especially when the woman grabbed a picture of her and Fate and threw it across the room. The frame shattered and along with it was the mirror it had struck._

_"He must think he's some piece of work, doesn't he?" Evelynn scoffed as she shook her head and looked at herself through the broken mirror of her vanity table. "Passion gone, love lost and time wasted... What's the use of money if it all leads to this point?"_

_Truthfully speaking, Akali was surprised to hear that. She always thought Evelynn was the type to take things for granted. The woman did play the materialistic trait quite well. Akali never actually thought she was able to differentiate the value of time, money and love between one another._

_"Whenever he's home, he's either too tired or had already spent himself with some whore." Evelynn growled and swept her arm across the table, sending various pieces of cosmetics to shatter upon impact on the floor. "And I can't do anything about it? I just sit here and look pretty, is that it?"_

_Akali didn't know if she was allowed to offer some comfort to Evelynn or some reassurance, so she kept to herself. She became rigid immediately when Evelynn turned to face her, eyes practically burning through her with all the rage she felt towards her spouse._

_"Am I still desirable, Akali?" Evelynn asked in a dangerously low murmur, slowly stalking towards her. "Or has my beauty faded?"_

_"You're beautiful as ever, Miss Evelynn." Akali sincerely answered, but she didn't part from her stoic expression. She needed to be professional._

_Evelynn scoffed and shook her head again, grasping and leading Akali to the bed by her black tie. "I don't want an answer from my bodyguard. I want to hear_ _**Akali's** _ _opinion."_

 _"That_ _**is** _ _my opinion." Akali replied, nearly stumbling on her own feet as they closed the distance between them and the king-size bed. "You're...-You're gorgeous, Miss Evelynn."_

_Suddenly, Akali was yanked forward before she was spun around and forcefully plopped onto the foot of the bed. She nearly fell back completely when Evelynn straddled her, grabbed her head and buried her face into her cleavage._

_The fact that the vixen was barely covered by the skimpy, silk nightgown she was wearing was not helping Akali at all._

_Dressed or not though, when Akali shifted her head in Evelynn's secured hold, she felt one of her ears press over the woman's chest. She heard each deafening pound of the heart that ached. It sent her to a daze and somewhat distracted her for a moment before her hair was reeled back and she was forced to look up._

_"Evelynn." The woman corrected with a hiss. "Just Evelynn."_

_Akali swallowed once she felt those smooth fingertips run over her throat before it clutched her jaw in a firm hold. She managed to nod in reply, not knowing if she should push Evelynn away or let this fantasy of hers become a reality._

_"There must be something wrong with me." Evelynn murmured. "Tell me what it is, Akali. Tell me why Tobias doesn't want me anymore."_

_"...You married the wrong man."_

_Did Akali just say that outloud?_

_"I... married the wrong man?"_

_Yes, she_ _**did** _ _say it outloud. She literally told her boss' wife that her marrying him was a mistake. What an employee she was._

_"How can you say that, hmm?" Evelynn questioned in a whisper._

_"He..." Akali still had a chance to back out with what she said, but all that left her lips was, "He doesn't love you the way you should be loved. Doesn't appreciate the fact that he's married to a beautiful woman like you."_

_"And you would?"_

_"I would." Was her immediate and certain reply. "Much better than he ever had, even."_

_Evelynn eyed her with this flame in her eyes. It was indescribable. There was lust, passion and desperation in her gaze and it brought Akali so much mixed emotions. The mistress before her was_ _**vulnerable**_ _, and she knew she had a semblance of a choice in the situation._

_"You would...?" Evelynn roughly pulled Akali's hair out of its ponytail, causing the latter to hiss in momentary pain. "You're a puny, little mouse who can't even decide if she wants to play with the cat or not."_

_Akali couldn't believe Evelynn was using that now. With this situation, their boundaries and restraints falling apart right before their eyes, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to hold herself back from reacting towards the pet name._

_"You're a fool, don't you know? A jester that I love watching and toying with, because you're nothing but a provider of entertainment for me." Evelynn sarcastically said, laughing sardonically as she continued clutching Akali by her jaw. "And_ _**you** _ _tell me that you can love me better than he had? Oh, you make me laugh with your pathetic jokes."_

_Akali snarled, hands clutching the bedsheets in a tight grip. "I'm not a fool or anyone's form of entertainment."_

_"You are to me!" Evelynn responded back, releasing her jaw, only to roughly grab her by a fistful of hair at the back of her head. "Do you really think you're_ _**that** _ _special? You're an idiot if that's what you thought."_

_"Shut. Up." Akali growled out, but all it did was make Evelynn laugh again._

_"Why don't you make me?" Came the guild mistress' challenge. "If you're not the fool I say you are, then prove me wrong. Show me who's the cat and who's the mouse between us!"_

_"Ragh!"_

_Akali lifted Evelynn up and slammed her onto the bed, grabbing her wrists and pinning it on either side of her head as she glared down at the supposedly more superior woman. The latter seemed to be taken aback by her aggressiveness, amber eyes widely staring back at her with surprise._

_"You're the fool."_

_With that said, Akali dove in and claimed Evelynn's lips, tongue wasting no time in slipping in between and invading the vixen's mouth. She released her wrists and reached downward, hooking both of Evelynn's legs on her waist._

_Evelynn buried her hands in her wild tresses, pulling and gripping on them as they both fought for dominance in the fierce kiss. She scratched her nails over Akali's scalp, also locking her legs around her bodyguard's waist and pulling the other closer against her._

_The more she got a taste of Akali's tongue, the more the spark between her legs developed into a fire. Evelynn moaned and began to grind against Akali, wanting to find some relief for the ache in her heat._

_It was a fleeting moment, but a moment nonetheless, when she regained a semblance of what they were both doing. All of the consequences for their steamy interaction flooded her mind, causing everything to be put to an abrupt stop._

_Gasping, Evelynn hastily unhooked her legs from Akali before shoving her back until she was forced to stand on her two legs. Both of them were out of breath and were looking at each other with gazes that showed how they're coming to a realization of what they had done._

_While Evelynn sat up, slapped a hand over her face and groaned, Akali turned away and started muttering colorful profanities under her breath._

_They fucked up and they knew it._

_But, when they both reconnected their gazes with one another, they shared only one thought._

_'I want her.'_

"The boss might be planning on making it up to you, Miss Evelynn." Akali found herself saying, which prompted Elise to nod, while their mistress ended up shooting her a scrutinizing look.

"I don't want him to." Evelynn replied after a long moment, returning her gaze to Elise, beckoning the said woman to come near. She made sure to whisper and have no one but Elise hear her order. "Get me in touch with Mr. Lionheart. I have a personal deal to strike with him."

Elise nodded, not at all questioning her motive. "Right away, Miss Evelynn."

Both Evelynn and Akali watched Elise excuse herself from them, the mentioned woman stepping out of the salon to make the calls to fulfill the command she was given. Akali wanted to ask about it, but she figured it wasn't her business. She already has a lot on her plate anyway.

"Are you done?" Evelynn asked the nail artist working on her.

The woman nodded. "Just let the polish dry and you'll be able to take your leave."

"Ah, I see. Thank you."

"It's been a pleasure serving you, Miss Evelynn."

For a long moment, they were left to let silence befall them as they waited for newly-applied nail polish to dry. Evelynn's fingers moved along with the music playing from the speakers scattered around the nail salon, while Akali shifted from her place and adjusted her tie every ten seconds or so.

Someone had to push though, or else they'll both be stuck in this tense atmosphere that continuously grew between them the more their issue remained unresolved.

And so, Akali took the first step.

"Miss Evelynn?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we... discuss what happened yesterday?"

A sigh. "Of course you'd bring that up."

"It's kinda hard not to think about." Akali mumbled, rubbing her nape as an addition to her sheepish reaction.

"Do you think _I_ forgot about it?" Evelynn asked back with a light scoff. "It's been on my mind ever since I dismissed you last night."

"Can we talk about it, then?"

"Not here, not now. Too many risks of being eavesdropped on."

"Then, when?"

For the second time, Evelynn sighed. "After dinner later. I'm certain it'll be a lengthy discussion, so I don't want any interruptions in between."

"As you wish, Miss Evelynn."

Evelynn glanced at Akali once she heard her reply, but she didn't utter any more. They've already come to an agreement to discuss it later on, so she didn't bother prolonging their current conversation.

Short it may be, their brief talk somewhat sped up time in their eyes. Once they left the nail salon and returned to the mansion to prepare for their dinner rendezvous with the two Mafia leaders, any other minor details of the day passed by in a blur.

Like always whenever they went out together, Fate and Evelynn wore outfits under the red and black color theme. It was one of their signature styles, just like how another Mafia in the neighboring city always donned attires related to the blue color.

Stationed at the front passenger seat, Akali watched the couple at the backseat of the SUV they're in. She spied Fate placing a hand on Evelynn's thigh, only for said woman to blatantly reject his advances by removing his hand from its place.

"Still upset with me?" Fate asked in his husky and somewhat gravelly voice, pushing the tip of his hat a bit upward to get a better view of his spouse's face.

"Is it that obvious?" Evelynn asked, sarcasm practically dripping from her very own voice. "I thought no one would notice."

Fate sighed. "Evie, seriously. It's just one anniversary. I'll make it up to you tonight. I'll even go down on you later."

"Ugh. Save it for your whores." Evelynn muttered, scooting a small space away from her husband. "I'm not in the mood."

A much deeper sigh left the man. "Moody again? Fine, have it your way. Just don't make a scene during dinner. Malcolm and Sarah have been longtime friends of mine and I don't want that to change anytime soon."

Evelynn rolled her eyes at him, but nonetheless stayed silent for the remainder of the ride. As for Akali, the nails she was digging into her knee finally stopped. She wouldn't say it outloud since it would get her killed, but she was relieved that Evelynn was pushing Fate away. It eased the jealousy that was boiling within her.

A car ride later, a few greetings and acknowledgements exchanged here and there, which was then followed up with them being seated at a table in a private room with their bodyguards standing a couple of steps behind them, dinner had finally commenced and the four of the notorious outlaws in the city fell in two divided conversations.

There was a fair amount of space between the two tables connected with one another, which was intentional. Although they came there to have a meaningful discussion with one another concerning their businesses, Graves and Fate took this as an opportunity to discuss some illegal trades between their groups.

As for Sarah, a.k.a. _Miss Fortune_ , and Evelynn, the former was more interested in the latter's personal affairs, especially since the head of Fortune Mafia noticed the huge shift of aura in between the couple.

The two women let a couple of minutes pass them by before one of them finally broke the silence and started a conversation.

"Trouble in paradise?" Sarah asked, smiling behind the glass of her wine.

Evelynn scoffed, sipping from her wine before replying with, "He wasn't here for our anniversary, that's all."

"Ooh, that's a big negative right there." Sarah commented with a chuckle before eyes trailed to the bodyguard stationed a fair distance behind Evelynn. "But I see a positive right behind you."

The guild mistress didn't need to glance over her shoulder to know what, or who specifically, Sarah was referring to. "Don't even think about it."

"Awww, but why?"

Before Evelynn could answer though, Graves and Fate cleared their throats to capture their attention. The two men told them they'll be outside for a few minutes for a cigarette break, which of course left the two women to freely discuss their desired topic. After all, the only ones left in their private dinner booth was the two of them and their two trustworthy bodyguards.

"Because, dear Sarah," Evelynn started with her response to the coo-like question earlier. "she's not available."

"By not available, you mean...?"

"You know what I mean."

"Oh, I do." Sarah giggled quietly. "I guess Tobias didn't predict that you'll end up bedding women eventually. What, with how he practically locks you up at home, no wonder you just decided to go for what you can."

"I don't casually sleep around." Evelynn clarified with a pointed look. "This one in particular is just... interesting enough to catch my attention."

"I can see why. She's a cutie."

"Sarah."

"Oh hush, Eve. I'm just teasing." Sarah gave a little chuckle before she reassured with, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. As much as this info about you will earn me a handful of favors from Fate, I know for a fact that you have your own network of contacts he doesn't have any control over."

Evelynn smiled sweetly. "And we both know most of Fate's contacts are already in your own list."

"Yes, so obviously, I need you more than him." Sarah offered a hand, which Evelynn shook with a small yet satisfied smile. "I look forward in doing business with you in the future."

"Likewise."

"Now, down to business. Word from a source of mine out of town that the mafia from the neighbouring city is planning a little visit here in Valoran." Sarah began with a seemingly intrigued look. "The Lionhearts."

Evelynn quirked an eyebrow. "And?"

"Well, since you and Tobias control most of the eyes and ears here in Valoran, I know for a fact that you yourself know about this."

"And how is the Lionheart's visit here relevant to you?"

"For starters, I'm actually thinking of forming an alliance with them." Sarah said with a light shrug. "They might be known as the pacifist mafia, but they're _still_ a mafia. They have more power because of Braum's ex-wives."

Evelynn softly sighed, recalling the image of the hulking yet tender-hearted leader of the Lionheart Mafia. "Ex-wife or not, his blood relations to his three daughters is enough for him to practically own the entirety of Freljord."

"Exactly why I want to have him as an ally." Sarah stated, smiling at the mere thought of the possible alliance. "With his daughters being the heiresses of the three leading corporations in Freljord, he has power and I, of course, want some of it."

"Listen, Sarah. I have an urgent matter to discuss with Braum or whoever it is he intends on sending to meet with me. I suppose endorsing you won't be something I'll regret doing during our rendezvous."

"Oh, believe me, Evelynn. I'll be owing you more than just a couple of favors if I do seal an alliance with his mafia with your help."

"Now that's what I call motivation."

The two of them clinked glasses with smiles of mischief on their lips. This was how they worked, after all. Every deal matters. No matter how small they might seem to be, it can still have a huge impact in the future.

"To the Lionhearts."

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

Throughout the entire day, Akali had been feeling too anxious for her talk with Evelynn. With the dinner delaying the discussion, it made her more and more tense. The little _'chat'_ they'll be having wasn't really something that involves merely discussing the weather or something trivial.

Fate had Evelynn and her dropped off at the mansion before he said that he accepted Graves' invitation in getting a couple of drinks at their favorite bar in the city.

Instead of being displeased, Evelynn let her husband go without a word of protest. She merely beckoned Akali to follow after her as she made her way to the front door, which opened even before she reached it.

"How was dinner, Miss Evelynn?" Zyra casually asked as she stepped aside and let the guild mistress step inside the large abode.

"Productive." Evelynn simply replied before querying, "Where's Elise?"

"She left the city, miss. Mr. Lionheart said he wanted one of our own to meet him halfway outside the city."

"Did she bring anyone with her? And are the Lionhearts already on their way here?"

Zyra nodded. "She brought a group with her, so there's no need for worry. And, yes, miss. Mr. Lionheart himself will be visiting the city to personally meet with you."

"I see. Prepare a welcome treat for him. I want to make a good impression once we meet."

"I'll take care of it right away." Zyra acknowledged with another nod. "Should I have one of the staff run your bath, Miss?"

"No need." Evelynn then gestured at Akali, who remained close behind her. "She'll be tending to my needs for tonight. After you finish doing what you need to do, you can take your leave."

Zyra offered a grateful smile. "Thank you for your generosity, Miss. Have a pleasant evening."

"You, too, darling."

Akali immediately trailed after Evelynn once the woman started up the staircase and made her way to the master bedroom. Her heartbeat began to quicken the second she entered the room after the vixen and closed the door behind her.

"Alright..." Evelynn gave a little sigh of content before raising one of her feet, pointing it to Akali. "Take them off and put them away, please."

Compliantly, Akali removed Evelynn's heels, her fingertips brushing over the skin of the woman's feet and nearly inspiring a vocal reaction out of those red lips the mistress owned. Once she stored them back in Evelynn's walk-in closet, she returned to the bedroom, where she was then ushered to bring the ottoman close to where she's seated.

Evelynn propped her legs on the ottoman before gesturing for Akali to sit on the remaining space. "Take a seat, so we can start."

"Where do we start?" Akali asked, eyes regarding Evelynn rather wearily. She knew that the second she kissed the woman before her, she had just dived into boiling water and was literally just waiting until Fate found out.

"How about we start with where you came from and who you are, hm?"

Akali groaned. "This is serious! I just kissed you last night!"

Evelynn scoffed. "I hardly call _that_ a kiss. It's more like tongue-tasting to me."

"Don't you understand what's at stake here?" Akali asked, sighing as she shook her head with how lightly Evelynn seemed to be handling the situation. "I only became a thief because I want to steal and maybe get some easy money from it. I didn't come to this city to become the personal bodyguard of some mob boss' wife, only to end up sucking faces with her!"

"Ah, now _that's_ more accurate."

Akali groaned in exasperation, standing up as she regarded Evelynn with a hard look. "Can't you take this seriously? It's our lives on the line here."

"We only live once." Evelynn simply stated, briefly gesturing to her sides. She made sure she had Akali's gaze locked with hers when she said, "Now I would prefer to explore this little connection I have with you rather than just watch my husband take me for granted and continue his little escapades with a bunch of harlots."

"What connection are you talking about?"

"Don't lie to me now. You and I both know we want one another." Evelynn outright brought up their feelings from last night, making sure she had her bodyguard's full attention as she continued. "Not only do I want your body, but I want what else is underneath that feisty mask of yours."

Akali took a step back when Evelynn got off her chair and approached her, grabbing her by her tie once again. "Why me? Why not someone else?"

As much as Akali wanted to just accept that Evelynn _desired_ her, she wanted answers first. Clarifications that would surely help her clear up her muddled thoughts.

"Would you prefer I choose the next person that waltzes into my life?"

"No." Much to her own shock, her answer left her in a blink of an eye and held not a pinch of uncertainty.

Evelynn fixed her tie, straightening it for her before returning their gaze with one another. "You're... _interesting_ , Akali. To me, at least."

"I'm just a runaway who wants to live her life the way she wants to." Akali sighed deeply, pulling away from Evelynn. "What happened last night between us, I crossed the line. You were emotionally vulnerable because of your anniversary and instead of stopping you, I encouraged you. We made a mistake. _I_ made a mistake."

"I've committed many mistakes. I'm sure you have as well throughout your life. But," Evelynn delicately brushed some of Akali's bangs away from her face, fondly looking into her azure gaze. "that moment we shared is _not_ one of them."

"Why are you so...-"

The soft look in Evelynn's eyes faded, only to be replaced with mirthless gaze that she forced solely on Akali. Her hands came up and cupped her bodyguard by her cheeks, preventing her from retracting when she stepped closer than ever.

"I'm going to kiss you." Evelynn sternly said, gaze unmoving. "And if you truly don't want it, then push me back and make sure to give me a hard slap on the face."

"Wai...-!"

Akali's eyes widened the moment Evelynn's lips cut her off, shushing her with the aforementioned kiss. The feeling of panic and anxiety diminished though as the kiss settled in a slow and meaningful pace. Evelynn didn't ravage her mouth like before.

No, the woman _took her time_ and used her tongue to caress Akali's, wordlessly pleading for her to dance along with it. It wasn't demanding, it was pleading.

 _Evelynn_ was pleading for reciprocation.

The pounding of Akali's heart was deafening her, but all she was completely aware about at that moment was how tender the entire kiss was and how Evelynn seemed to be savouring it.

Akali's hands betrayed the thoughts that screamed in her head and told her to shove Evelynn away. She snaked her hands around the woman's neck, her fingers bringing those platinum tresses out of its elegant bun.

Softly gasping, Evelynn retreated, ending their kiss with a quiet pop. She was loosely grasping Akali's face, giving her the opportunity to easily step away from her. She stroked the skin of Akali's cheek with her thumb, eyes peering through her long lashes.

"Are you done lying to yourself?" Evelynn whispered, her thumb moving low until it traced the outline of Akali's lower lip. "Or do you want more of the truth?"

Akali heard her voice and she knew she gave a reply, but her mind was still focused on those amber gold eyes that arrested her blues in an unbreakable trance. She didn't know what she said, but she was somewhat aware that it pleased Evelynn.

And that she was now kneeling on the bed, while Evelynn herself laid before her.

Hand holding the lowest part of the tie, Evelynn pulled Akali down until the latter was pressed on top of her. She hooked her right leg around Akali, while her hands fondly brushed through wild obsidian strands of hair.

Akali's blazer was gone. She can vaguely remember Evelynn pushing it off of her on their way to the bed, which now left her in her pants, button-down shirt and shoes. Although her tie was still around her shirt collar, the shirt itself was untucked and had already all of its buttons on the lower half undone.

Evelynn hummed, feeling Akali's warm abdomen through her dress' fabric. While her left hand continued playing with Akali's hair, her right moved under and pushed Akali's semi-open shirt aside, her fingertips gliding over the skin she unveiled.

"It's been so long ever since I've felt this warmth again." Evelynn murmured, her hand inching to Akali's back until it was over the base of her spine.

Akali swallowed quietly, but her gaze remained trained on Evelynn's face. "I've... I've never done this before."

A delighted smile slowly shaped Evelynn's lips, the said curve turning into a little grin. "Well, that surely changes everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Our first won't take place here." Evelynn said, nails delicately scraping over the skin of Akali's back. "We'll just make-out for now."

"This," Akali glanced at their current positioning. "is making-out?"

"And maybe some heavy petting here and there," Evelynn added with a nonchalant shrug. "but details, details."

"Your husband's going to kill us, y'know that? Once he catches us...-"

" _If_ he catches us." Evelynn corrected, shushing Akali after. "You're having an affair with the mistress of the Thieves Guild, darling. Discreet could honestly be my middle name if it wouldn't be so tacky."

Yes, they'll be discreet with this.

None of them could back out of this now.

And Evelynn did say they only live once.

Maybe it was time for Akali to truly live her life to the fullest.

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**


	2. Not So Discreet

**Discretion is Advised: Not so Discreet**   
_(Continuation of Discretion is Advised: Discreet)_

It's been a whole month ever since it all started.

**_Thud!_ **

And so far, the only ones who knew about their affair were Zyra and Elise.

**_Thump!_ **

But only because Evelynn decided to inform them about it. She knew their undying loyalty is dedicated to no one but her, so she didn't hesitate in updating them about her evolved relationship with Akali.

**_Thud!_ **

It's the reason why they were able to roll around the backseat of the car, while the two mentioned bodyguards, were at the front of the vehicle. The driver, Elise, sighed to herself, while Zyra suppressed a snicker.

Even with the tinted window separating them from the backseat and obscuring the activities transpiring from their line of sights, it surely didn't muffle the moans and occasional gasps of their mistress. And don't even get them started about the occasional thumps and thuds.

"It's a wonder how those two haven't been caught yet." Elise muttered.

"Miss Evelynn didn't inform us for nothing, Elise." Zyra said, chuckling. "We're in charge of their privacy, after all."

Meanwhile, at the backseat, the pair seemed to have found a position they both agreed on. Akali was seated on the leather seats and Evelynn was straddling her and pulling at her hair every time she bit down on her lip. Since Evelynn was dressed in her sports attire already, it didn't matter to her if they were to ruffle their outfits.

As for Akali, her blazer was on the floor, her tie was vastly lose around her neck and her shirt was somewhat untucked and was slightly wrinkled due to their little fight for dominance in the kiss earlier. It was the one responsible for all the initial thumping.

Evelynn broke the kiss and pulled back, only for her hands to grasp Akali by the front of her shirt and lock their gazes with one another. "Feeling feisty today, aren't we?"

"Got yelled at last night."

"By who?"

"The boss."

A coo left Evelynn as she released Akali and stroked her back for comfort, while said female just unzipped Evelynn's jacket and buried her face in her cleavage, lips kissing over the skin the sports bra couldn't cover.

"Is that why you're so high-strung? How cute."

Just because Fate agreed to let Evelynn have Akali as one of her personal bodyguards doesn't mean she's excused from any other jobs that could use her expertise.

Last night, Fate had her handle a job that nearly got her caught. Despite not failing the task she was given, Fate was displeased with her performance and her near slip-up, which earned her a round of yelling from the man himself.

And now, what more could she do to but get some petty revenge against her boss by releasing all her stress onto his wife? It's fulfilling in more ways than one.

With Evelynn now knowing why she's more aggressive than usual, Akali had no more worries and was more focused on vanquishing all of the mentioned stress.

"Now you're taking it all out on poor, little me." Evelynn said in a feigned dejected tone.

"I can hardly call these little." Akali murmured, hands sneaking behind Evelynn and groping her firm derrière.

Evelynn tittered before lifting Akali's head again and giving her lips a soft kiss. "Calm down, tiger. I don't exactly want our first to take place here in a backseat of a car."

Yes, they have not yet done _that_.

With each fervent kiss they instigated with one another, each caress their fingertips gave each other's skin, it was always memorable and left them both yearning for more when it came to an end. The risk of getting caught only served as a form of aphrodisiac for them, both women embracing the thrill in their forbidden kisses.

The moment Evelynn felt Akali's teeth graze her skin, she retracted back and shoved Akali against the seat, shaking her head as she said, "No biting. Tobias might see."

Akali rolled her eyes but settled on just laying back, eyeing Evelynn with a displeased frown. "Fine."

Evelynn looked towards the window, recognizing the buildings they were passing. Sighing, she removed herself from Akali's lap and started smoothing out her jacket, also zipping it close.

"We're almost at the dance studio. Make yourself decent." Evelynn commanded, taking her hair out of its ruffled ponytail, only to put it back up in a messy bun.

Akali took her own turn in sighing, arching her back as she started tucking her shirt in her pants again. After straightening her tie, she picked up her blazer and slipped it on. Just in time, too, since the car finally came to a stop in front of the dance studio from before.

She had learned from Evelynn that the establishment had been bought and renovated by Fate a month after their marriage. Apparently, it used to be some sort of fancy gentleman's club and Evelynn used to be the star performer. It was how she met Fate and had charmed him into putting a ring around her finger.

But now, she didn't see it as something that would remind her of how she had met her husband.

Ever since Graves had successfully assisted Fate in branching out his networks, the latter became so busy that he started missing out the weekly activities he used to do with Evelynn.

And of course, time worked its magic and drew Evelynn's heart apart from Fate's. While the man was focused on increasing his wealth and power, Evelynn learned that money was not enough to keep their love alive.

While Akali lagged behind to retrieve Evelynn's duffel bag in the trunk, Evelynn herself was escorted by the other two bodyguards to her reserved dance hall, where she stretched her limbs as she waited for her dance partner.

Evelynn might not be dancing with her husband, but she couldn't bring herself to think about him now. She started falling out of love for him ever since he claimed that dancing was just a waste of time and that it provided him no benefit for his work whatsoever.

It broke her heart.

Dancing was, and will always be, Evelynn's passion, and hearing the man she loved degrade it wounded her.

Regardless of how Fate stopped attending along with her for her weekly trips to the dance studio, Evelynn still continued dancing. So far, she found no one worthy to share the dance floor with.

That was, until destiny brought her Akali.

The first that captured her attention about Akali were the girl's eyes. They were as blue as the sky and as breathtaking as the finest diamonds in the world. Evelynn easily envisioned herself gazing into those azure orbs as they both danced along a symphony only their hearts would know.

It would be the definition of romantic.

"Are we going to dance again?"

Evelynn, whose eyes were close while she performed her usual stretches, returned to reality as she turned around to face her bodyguard, who placed her bag on one of the chairs before approaching her. Judging from Akali's expression though, she didn't seem to be as eager as Evelynn was with the act of dancing.

"You sound as if I'm going to have you walk on broken glass." Evelynn said, offering a hand.

"I'd rather do that than embarrass myself again by stepping on your toes."

Despite the clear reluctance Akali was displaying, Evelynn was quite happy that the other accepted her gesture and held her offered hand. "You underestimate your potential, mouse."

Akali huffed, standing in front of Evelynn and holding her as if they were about begin a routine of waltz. Which they were, actually. "Not to speak out of line, but I don't think massacring your toes again would be a good idea."

"Speak out of line? Well, you surprise me everyday, don't you?" Evelynn chuckled, taking her hand away from Akali's shoulder in order to give her a cheek a caress. "You wanted to _bite_ me earlier, and now you're actually afraid of _'speaking out of line'_ _?_ "

"That's...-"

"Don't you dare say it's different, 'cause it's not." Evelynn gave Akali's cheek a little pinch before tugging at the hem of her blazer. "Take this off."

"My jacket?" Akali glanced at her coat, turning back to Evelynn and asking, "Why?"

Evelynn clicked her tongue and wagged her finger. "Just because you regularly taste my lips doesn't mean you can _question_ my authority. Now, off."

Right. Evelynn was still, in some way, her boss as well. Akali shrugged her blazer off without any more protests, only for the said clothing to be taken by Evelynn and tossed onto where her duffel bag was. She then beckoned Akali to come close. A wordless command the latter immediately obeyed.

"Maybe waltz just isn't your type. So," Evelynn returned her hand on Akali's shoulder, adding, "let's try a different approach, shall we?"

Akali huffed again, seeing that her superior really wanted to push through with their dance lesson. "Okay, fine. How do you want this to start?"

A smirk was the first thing she saw after her question, which was then followed up with a shift of aura between them.

All of a sudden, Akali tensed, especially when Evelynn pressed herself against her, hands leisurely snaking behind her head to glide over her nape before one of them rested on the back of her lower shoulder and the other landed on the base of her spine.

Akali had to suppress the shudder that nearly overtook her upon feeling soft fingertips brush over the skin of the back of her neck.

"I don't think..." Akali cleared her throat, feeling her face warm up a little as she focused her gaze over Evelynn's shoulder. "...this is the right stance for waltz."

A mischievous curve shaped Evelynn's lips, which came close to Akali's ear before whispering, "I know."

Akali's form was as stiff as ever and she found herself not knowing where to put her hands. She played it safe and placed a hand on Evelynn's back, which earned her a subtle nod of approval. Her left hand remained idle on her side though, but when the other woman made no move or uttered a single word about it, she let it be.

"Just follow my lead." Evelynn murmured, eyeing her intently. "Let's start it slow."

The following movements were absolutely similar to a snail's pace. Evelynn took one step back, her firmly secured hands leaving Akali no choice but to follow. Her body was as rigid as it was, but she didn't remove her hand on Evelynn's back.

Akali stepped after Evelynn, and the process repeated for another time before the mistress moved forward, giving Akali no choice but to take one step back. Evelynn contradicted her movement at the last second before releasing her and walking away, breaking them both apart as if they were a rubber band that snapped.

The abrupt break gave Akali the chance to exhale audibly, releasing the breath she was apparently holding. She rolled her shoulders back, still feeling the lingering warmth of Evelynn's hands on her own back.

She was fairly certain she did a crappy job on that brief routine, but Evelynn seemed to be pleased.

"Alright. Just keep doing that." Evelynn turned on the sound system set up at the side, where her phone was already connected to. A few seconds of tapping later, a slow song started pouring out of the speakers situated around the room. "I have a good feeling with this one."

Before Akali could ask, Evelynn had began strutting towards her, which silenced her immediately. The mistress grabbed her forearms and raised them both to their shoulder level, surprising Akali for a moment with the abrupt shift.

She stared back at Evelynn, clueless of what she needed to do. The amber-eyed woman nodded her head to their forearms, silently telling Akali to hold her own. Once she adjusted and had a firm grip on Evelynn, the woman inched a step back, prompting Akali to trail after her.

At the third backward step, Evelynn shifted them both immediately and before suddenly releasing her and twirling around. Akali moved instinctively and placed her hands on the small of Evelynn's back, pulling her in the second Evelynn clasped a hand on her nape. Her right knee raised and narrowly missed Akali's right hip, her thigh pressed against her bodyguard's side as the blue-eyed female held her close.

"Lean back." Evelynn whispered. "Slowly."

Akali nodded once, doing just what Evelynn told and slightly leaned backwards, only to straighten up again once she felt a light squeeze on her nape.

Once they stood up and Evelynn had placed her other foot back down, they assumed the first position they were in earlier. Pressed against one another, one hand secured behind Evelynn and the other woman keeping her close, they spun around with eyes locked and focused on each other.

Akali gave a soundless breath as she gazed into Evelynn's gold-like crystals, unconsciously shifting her body along with the motion of Evelynn's own. She still might be stiff, but she was surrendering the control to her mistress. The pounding of her heart felt like an addition to the drums of the sensual song playing in the background.

After their third spin, Evelynn released her, causing Akali herself to let her personal dance instructor to leave her arms with a simple but elegant twirl.

Swallowing quietly, Akali huffed out a breath as she looked at Evelynn, who stopped and faced her with a proud grin occupying her red lips.

"You learn fast."

"I don't even know what just happened."

Evelynn chuckled, placing her weight on one leg as she crossed her arms and audited Akali. "That's what happens when you have a tremendous teacher."

Akali coughed, hands reaching to her somewhat loosened tie to fix it. "Right. Sure."

"Don't believe me?"

"More like I don't believe _myself_." Akali clarified. "It's only a matter of time that I step on your toes again."

"Either you are very negative, or you have a penchant towards the idea of murdering my toes." Evelynn jested, tittering as she uncrossed her arms and approached Akali again.

"Why are you so bent in teaching me how to dance anyway?"

Evelynn hummed, ushering Akali to meet her halfway. Once the said female stepped towards her, she immediately reassumed their position from earlier before she spoke in seductive whispers.

"Because I need a partner."

Akali held back a shiver when Evelynn stroked the side of her neck with that featherlight touch of hers, while her right hand brought Akali's left one up to their eye level. Their fingers slowly interlocked with one another, their gazes focused on such before they both turned to one another.

A gorgeous face inches away from her, Akali felt the need to ask the Heavens what she had done to be in the arms of the platinum-haired goddess before her.

"One that would dance with me to lessen the pain." Evelynn whispered as she used her free hand to guide Akali's other palm behind her back. "One that would dance to a song."

"What song?" Akali breathed out, eyes entirely enthralled by Evelynn's.

Her body visibly tensed even more before it significantly relaxed the second she felt a pair of soft, supple lips graze her own.

" _Ours._ "

With gazes focused on nothing but each other's, they both moved forward, their motion syncing with the music playing.

After the second step, Evelynn whipped her head and shoulders to the side, while her left leg stretched along the same direction. Akali nearly thought Evelynn had slipped, or maybe wanted to step away from her hold.

But, when she felt the squeeze the woman gave to her hand, it became clear that it was part of the routine. Leisurely, she returned to her original posture, redirecting her stare back to Akali's.

Evelynn untangled their hands from one another, only to place it against the side of Akali's stomach, a smirk reaching her lips once she felt the muscle underneath. She moved her right leg around, prompting the two of them to perform spin after spin.

Now with just one arm clasped on each other's side, they both spun around in circles. Their eyes never left one another. No one was brave, or foolish, enough to do such thing.

When they stopped, Akali suddenly became tense again, but only because Evelynn spun around and dropped low. Akali gulped audibly as Evelynn reached behind her and rubbed her hands against her legs, the warmth of her palm making her skin tingle under the fabric of her pants.

As Evelynn gradually stood back up, she made sure to press herself against Akali as much as she could, her prominent derriére grinding against her seemingly rigid bodyguard.

Akali placed her hands on Evelynn's shoulders as if it was telling her to keep going and stop at the same time. She couldn't make up her mind. All she was conscious about was the body heat the vixen exuded. Her lips pursed when Evelynn rested her head back and on her shoulder, face turning to her and engaging eye contact once again.

"You're a natural at this." Evelynn spoke in a low murmur, bringing a hand up and stroking a finger just below Akali's jaw.

"You said it yourself, didn't you? I have an awesome teacher."

"Actually, I said _'tremendous'_ , but yes..." Evelynn grinned as she turned around and loosely wound her arms around Akali's neck. "I suppose I _am_ the most _'awesome'_ dance instructor you'll ever have."

Akali's lips slowly curved up, especially when she found herself inhaling the sweet scent of Evelynn's fragrant strawberry perfume. She wanted to close the space between them and kiss those lips in front of her, but she didn't want to squander the moment.

"You're beautiful, Evelynn." Akali quietly complimented, nearly whispering as she placed her hands on Evelynn's hips. The whole hushed conversation made her feel as if there were no possible consequences if their affair were to be discovered.

The sincerity behind her words rang clear with each syllable and Evelynn felt like a teenager that was falling in love with their first crush. She felt her heart skip a beat, but she knew not to part with her usual demeanor.

"I know," Evelynn chuckled. "and you, my darling Rogue, are _absolutely_ charming."

Even though the two of them wanted nothing more but to crash their lips onto one another and sate their desire for lustful fulfillment, it was only right that they didn't give in to temptation at that moment.

**_Click!_ **

"Evelynn!" Came the voice of the man that threatened to give them a heart attack at that moment.

Both Akali and Evelynn spun around, practically jumping apart as they faced the leader of the Thieves Guild. Fate wore his signature cocky smirk when he strode into the dance hall, leaving Zyra and Elise no choice but to stare apologetically at their mistress. They couldn't exactly stop Fate from seeing his wife.

"What're you doing here?" Evelynn questioned as calmly as she could, making sure she looked more than just presentable by the time her husband reached her.

"I came here to dance with my beautiful wife." Fate said, winking at her as he took his hat off and tossed it to Akali, who nearly juggled it once it went her way. "Thanks for acting as substitute, squirt, but I'll be taking over from here."

Akali cleared her throat and nodded, bowing once before turning away and heading towards Evelynn's bag, where her blazer was draped over. She placed her boss' hat on top of the mentioned bag once she got her coat, slipping it on immediately after.

"Missed me?" Fate asked as he took Evelynn in his arms and gave her a twirl.

Although the woman went along with his actions, once she was pressed up against him, she wore a face of displeasure while her frustration flashed in her eyes. "Hardly."

"Is this because of the anniversary again?" Fate shook his head, wrapping an arm around her waist and making sure Evelynn won't be able to step away from him. "You have to let that go, girl. I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Don't you dare call me _'girl'_." Evelynn hissed, pushing Fate back. "When I needed you with me, you weren't there. This is the third anniversary you missed."

Instead of becoming angry with the rejection, Fate placed his hand on his hip as he eyed Evelynn with a resigned look. "And like always, I make up for it, don't I? I mean, I'm right here, aren't I? To do what you want and dance."

"Exactly. Do you really think you could always _'make it up'_ after screwing it at first?" Evelynn sighed and was about to walk away, but Fate grabbed her wrist and didn't allow her to do so.

"You're really going to make a big deal out of this? I'm _here_ , aren't I? I'm saying sorry by coming here to dance with you like always."

Evelynn scoffed, tugging her away from his grasp. "Like always? Since when did you come here to _just_ dance with me? Isn't dancing a waste of time for you now?"

"Exactly why you should be more thankful I'm here in the first place."

"You're an asshole." Evelynn said before turning away and finally stomping towards where her bag is. Once she slung its strap on one of her shoulders and snatched her phone from the sound system, she turned back to Fate, who watched her with a stressed expression. "I'm not in the mood anymore. I'm going home."

"Fine, I'm coming with you."

Evelynn raised a hand at him once they got to the door, handing her bag out for Zyra to take before she glared at her husband. "Ride in your own goddamn car. Mine's full."

"What, because of them?" Fate glanced at the three female bodyguards, nodding towards Akali as he said, "Have the little one walk, then."

Instead of verbally replying, Evelynn just flashed her middle finger at her husband before she ushered the trio to escort her out of the studio. She didn't care if she was acting immature or being unreasonable. No way was she giving Fate another free pass.

The three women bowed and excused themselves from Fate before they rushed after Evelynn, leaving the leader of the guild to sigh and kick the door of the dance hall in frustration.

"Boss?" One of his men, Twitch, approached him. "You okay?"

Fate sighed in annoyance, turning around to retrieve his hat, which Evelynn dusted off her duffel bag earlier. "I need you to dig for some intel for me."

"Just give me a name, boss. I'll get all their dirt."

"Tethi Akali."

Twitch raised an eyebrow. "One of the Mistress' bodyguards?"

"Yes." Fate brushed his hair back before perching his hat on his head, fixing his coat as he faced Twitch. "I want every bit of info about her on my desk first thing tomorrow."

"You got it, boss."

.....

.....

.....

Meanwhile, with the departing mistress and her bodyguards, they were inside the car they rode in earlier and was driving off before Fate could even think about chasing after his wife.

While Evelynn was rubbing her temples out of stress, Akali was shifting uncomfortably beside her. The car was filled with Zyra and Elise's voice, both women explaining to their superior about how sorry they were for failing in stopping Fate from barging into the dance hall.

"We couldn't stop him without appearing suspicious about your affair, Miss Evelynn. We're sorry." Elise said, glancing at Evelynn through the rearview mirror. "We'll do better next time."

Evelynn sighed and waved it off, giving a motion that told Zyra to bring the window up between the front and backseat. Once the tinted window was back up like earlier and gave them the privacy she wordlessly asked for, Akali decided to find her voice again.

"You alright?" Akali queried, looking at Evelynn with concern in her eyes.

"I'm utterly stressed, but otherwise _completely_ fine." Evelynn sarcastically replied, causing Akali to wince at how venomous her voice sounded.

Silently, Akali nodded and proceeded to shut her mouth. Although she had been bold and spoke up at times she shouldn't, she knew she shouldn't even think in pushing her luck now. Even if she wanted to know why Evelynn acted up against Fate, especially after they were nearly caught red-handed by his abrupt intrusion.

Regardless of having silence as their third company, Akali couldn't stop herself from glancing at Evelynn every minute or so. Although the woman seemed to be occupied with the passing views outside the window, the latter was still aware of the brief looks she was receiving.

Evelynn suddenly shifted on her seat and leaned towards the window that separated her and Akali from the other two at the front, knuckles tapping against the glass to get the pair's attention.

The barrier immediately lowered and Zyra was the first to inquire about Evelynn's needs. "Miss Evelynn?"

"Drop Akali off at her apartment before we go back."

"Of course, miss."

Akali turned to Evelynn and wanted to ask why she was being relieved from her duties so early in the day, but she wasn't given the chance to do anything. Evelynn looked like she had her mind set on something and Akali didn't want herself to serve as a form of distraction.

The second Akali stepped out of the vehicle upon their arrival at her address, she gave Evelynn one last parting glance that seemingly went unacknowledged before she closed the car door. The obsidian-haired bodyguard rubbed her nape as she climbed up to the steps of her apartment building, somehow bothered by how the guild mistress didn't bid her at least a small farewell.

For the past hour and a half, Akali spent the time she had by taking a quick shower and dressing up in an oversized shirt and an ordinary pair of panties before settling on the couch and in front of the TV. She boredly watched random shows that were being aired while she tried taking her mind off everything with the cup of spicy ramyun she had cooked.

Akali was worried Fate might've picked up on something earlier during his sudden arrival, but she was surprisingly able to push that at the back of her mind and reassure herself. She wished that Evelynn hadn't dismissed her so early though.

Last time she was told to go home early was when Evelynn had a meeting with the Lionheart Mafia.

Yes, she was curious about what was discussed, but one of the things Zyra and Elise had taught her during her time with them is that she should never poke her nose into any sort of business that doesn't concern her or else she'll just get herself killed.

**_Knock! Knock! Knock!_ **

Akali turned her head to her front door, momentarily surprised by the three consecutive knocks. She slurped up the noodles that were still dangling between her lips before she placed her food down on the coffee table and stood up to answer the door.

The moment she peeked into the peephole though, Akali's eyes widened in surprise and she instantly stepped back and pulled the panel open.

Evelynn stood out on the hall with what seemed to be an overnight bag of hers hanging on one of her shoulders, foot tapping impatiently on the floor. She was dressed in a pair of skintight jeans, a red tank top and a cropped denim jacket.

Despite looking as stylish and beautiful as she usually is, this was the first time Akali had seen Evelynn look more like an everyday person rather than a regal mistress of the Thieves Guild in Valoran City.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Evelynn queried after spending a minute of the two of them staring at each other.

"Uh, yeah, yeah." Akali stepped aside and ushered her in, closing the door behind the woman before she trailed after her. "What're you doing here?"

"I intend to spend the night here."

"What!?" Akali gestured at the now closed door as she questioned, "What about the boss?"

"He can go fuck himself for all I care." Evelynn nonchalantly replied, taking her jacket off and settling on the couch after dropping her bag beside the coffee table. She reached for one of the two chocolate bars beside the cup of ramyun, tearing it open as if the sweet treat was hers in the first place.

"Is... Is this you throwing a tantrum?"

Evelynn hummed and nodded, biting from the chocolate bar before turning to Akali, face clearly yet wordlessly asking if she was going to join her on the sofa or not.

"Why?"

"I don't want to see him, nor do I want to sleep with him tonight." Evelynn stated, sounding more like a brat giving attitude instead of a deadly guild mistress.

"So you decided to just come here and stay in my apartment?"

"Mm-hm."

"This is gonna get us killed. Heck, _I'm_ going to get killed."

Evekynn shook her head. "Not on my watch, no."

Akali deeply sighed, plopping down on the space at Evelynn's right as she thought about how she was going to get gunned down by Fate and his people once he finds out _why_ Evelynn was there and why Evelynn even preferred her company in the first place.

"Between the two of us, you're practically untouchable." Akali started in an almost grumble-like manner. "I'm just an expendable goon in the guild. In some way, I was already a dead man walking the second I kissed you."

Evelynn turned her head, facing Akali as she softly spoke. "Do you truly regret it?"

Akali pursed her lips, staring at her lap as she pondered about the question for a moment. "No, I don't."

"Do you want me to go back and just let him take me to bed? Give him the pass he's been asking for?"

Hearing those words poked at Akali's anger and jealousy. She and Evelynn were practically acquaintances with benefits. She knew only little about the woman with her, yet here she was, feeling absolutely crossed with the fact that her body can be claimed by somebody else.

"I can always go if you want me to. I'm sure Zyra and Elise still haven't driven off too far. I'll give them a call and...-" Evelynn became quiet all of a sudden, her amber eyes casting low and to the small space between them.

A slim hand holding her right, conveying a message her bodyguard was unable to utter in that moment. She raised her head and looked towards Akali, smiling when the latter avoided her gaze and tried maintaining an unfazed expression.

"Alright, I'll stay, then." Evelynn said, scooting close and giving Akali a kiss on the cheek before she snuggled in those arms she realized were more muscular than they looked.

Akali was no idiot. She had dug her grave like an absolute idiot, yet the consequences didn't deter her from taking the platinum-haired beauty in her arms and letting her cozy up with her on the sofa.

Her life was already on the verge on being turned upside down, so what was the point of resisting? She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the time she ends up spending with Fate's wife. The woman has the charm, wit and charisma to reel her in, so there wasn't much she could do.

"Thank you, Akali." Evelynn murmured, laying her head on her shoulder as she nibbled on the chocolate she had taken.

"Why are you thanking me? In some way, we're both on a possible death sentence because of this... relationship of ours."

"Let's make it more interesting, then." Evelynn turned again and looked at Akali. "What's your favorite car?"

Akali stilled for a second before she slowly faced Evelynn. "...No, I am _not_ letting you buy my dream car."

Evelynn pouted. "Why?"

"You bought Zyra her sports car last year as a Christmas gift and gave Elise this crazy expensive motorcycle. I don't want one."

"You didn't answer my question."

Akali sighed. "Why can't you just start with something simpler? Like, what's my favorite color?"

"Alright, fine. What's your favorite color for your dream car?"

A groan. Okay, this was going to take a long while in getting used to.

"Fine. I like green, you?"

"Magenta." Evelynn brought the chocolate bar up, offering it to Akali, who accepted by leaning in and taking a bite from the treat.

"What's your favorite food? Mine's spicy ramyun."

"Highly unhealthy, but who am I to judge?"

"Alright, okay, don't insult the noodles." Akali half-heartedly cut in. "What about you? What's your favorite food? Maybe I can cook it for you."

Evelynn quirked an eyebrow. "You can cook?"

"Yeah."

"Can you cook sea urchins?"

"...What?"

Grinning, Evelynn leaned in and pecked Akali on the lips. "My favorite food, it's sea urchin."

"Why can't it be something more normal? Like, I don't know, pasta?"

Evelynn snickered. She placed the half-eaten chocolate on the table before she straddled Akali, her grin returning as she rested her forehead against the younger female.

"It's an acquired taste, darling." Evelynn then shrugged nonchalantly as she added, "And it's an aphrodisiac."

When Akali rolled her eyes at that, she managed to coax another chuckle from the vixen. "Of course, why didn't I know that?"

"Well, now you do."

Akali intended to ask about Evelynn's favorite genre of music, but her words remained unspoken when her eyes drifted to the smooth-looking arms of the beauty on her lap. Her hands came up, lightly touching Evelynn's skin before she lifted her gaze back up, only to meet the other's amber hues.

"See something you like?" Evelynn asked, playing innocent.

"Nothing." She murmured, continuing her gentle caresses towards Evelynn's arms.

Taking a deep breath, Akali wound her arms around Evelynn and pulled her in. She rested her head on her chest, eyes drifting close as she embraced the surprised woman. It didn't even take more than a second for Evelynn to return the affection. Akali felt the same arms she was admiring earlier wrap around her, hands brushing through her messy hair.

Evelynn was relaxed in her embrace, which made it easier for her to hear the calm beating of her heart. It was a sound that banished all the burden she had, even if it was just temporary.

"Akali?"

And hearing her name be uttered in such a way, Evelynn had an effect on her that she couldn't decipher. It's like the woman had this grasp on her, one that she knew she won't be able to get away from.

Not that she intended on doing such in the first place.

"Yeah?"

Evelynn continued running her fingers through Akali's hair, smiling when she finally came to a final decision in her head. "Do you know where the bedroom is?"

"Yeah," Akali swallowed, feeling her heartbeat begin to quicken. "I do."

"Can you take me there?"

Slowly, Akali raised her head and sought for Evelynn's gaze. "You mean...?"

Evelynn nodded, whispering, "Only if you want to."

Does she?

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

**_Thud!_ **

She does.

Evelynn hissed in between the passionate kiss they were having once her back collided against the door of Akali's bedroom, which was shoved open with one hand by none other than Akali, who had the guild mistress latched onto her like a succubus thirsty for satisfaction.

"Sorry." Akali apologized in between the kiss, only to feel Evelynn's nails dig into the short-sleeve of her T-shirt.

"Shut up." Evelynn grunted, holding Akali by her cheeks as she reconnected their lips with one another.

Akali stumbled on her feet for a couple of times, but she managed to get to her bed. She dropped Evelynn onto the sheets, her whole body pressing over her in an instant. But instead of resuming their make-out, Akali hovered on top of Evelynn, fingers delicately brushing her hair away from her face.

"What're you staring at?" Evelynn asked in a hushed whisper, an endearing smile shaping her lips.

Akali gave a little grin, her hand coming up caress Evelynn's cheek. "You."

Evelynn's smile turned into a small grin of her own. "What about me, hmm?"

"I don't know, but... I guess it's just your face. Your eyes."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, and..." Akali stopped for a second before she asked, "Am I talking too much? Do people talk like this when they're about to have sex?"

Evelynn's eyebrows raised in amusement. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

Akali nodded. "I told you, I haven't really... slept with anyone."

"And that's what I love about this."

A quiet _"Oof!"_ left Akali the second Evelynn switched their positions, rolling them on the bed once until the siren was on top of her. Akali gulped quietly when Evelynn took the hem of her shirt and yanked it up until the fabric was all over her face. She shook her head and squirmed, hands leaving Evelynn's hips and reaching up to remove the clothing around her head.

When she did finish relieving herself of the nuisance, she felt and found Evelynn gently running her fingertips over her midriff, where her abdominal muscles can be found. Although it wasn't as prominent as a bodybuilder's, they were still firmly hard and rather impressive. Clearly, her daily sit-ups paid off well.

"All this underneath your shirt?" Evelynn purred out, winking at Akali when she saw the light redness spread across her cheeks. "I should have made you work shirtless."

"Is that what this is? Just about two people wanting each other's bodies?"

Instead of receiving a coquettish smirk and reply, Evelynn lips shaped into a small and delicate smile, her hands leaving Akali's torso, only for one to gently cup her cheek. She leaned down, her eyes gazing into Akali's with an emotion that did nothing but speed up the other's heartbeat.

"Do _you_ think it's just that?"

Staring distractedly into those ambers, Akali murmured, "If I'm honestly going to die because of an affair, I want it to be because I was with someone that _actually_ likes me. Not just my face or body."

Evelynn's smile slightly widened. "Do you really think I want to do this just because you look cute?"

"Who knows, right? Faithful or not, you're still the wife of a mob boss. I'm pretty sure you have _some_ merit to gain in doing this with me."

"Hmm, I suppose it does look like that, doesn't it?" Evelynn softly chuckled. "Would you like to know the so called _'merit'_ I get from risking an affair with you?"

Gulping quietly, Akali nodded.

So many words raced in Akali's head. One-word responses that would tell her why Evelynn was taking such a vast interest in her. But, what caught her off-guard was the answer that reached her ears.

"Happiness."

Eyes partially wide, Akali looked at Evelynn with stunned disbelief. The sincerity in the woman's eyes and the hint of truth in her whisper rendered her tongue-tied. All she was able to do in that moment was stare in return.

Evelynn didn't take it the wrong way though. The guild mistress closed in, but only to give Akali's nose a kiss as light as an angel's touch.

"Teaching you, talking to you, dancing with you... Just being around you, Akali." Evelynn murmured ever so softly. "You make me feel like a teenager in love, and _that's_ what I get from all of this. A feeling. A spark that only _you_ were able to revive after so long."

"You're... not lying."

"No, I'm not." Evelynn purred once again. "Why would I? I have nothing to hide from you."

It may sound awkward or maybe even uncomfortable, but when they just stayed there and continued to gaze at one another, it felt as if they were both speaking with just the emotions that scintillated in their eyes. Intimate and personal, that's what it was.

The bed began to creak and quietly groan at the shift of weight, its low ruckus overlapping with the quiet puff noise that sounded upon Evelynn's landing on the bed. Akali now took the upper hand between them, and judging from the lack of objections, Evelynn seemed to be fine with everything.

"Do you think I'm worth dying for?" Evelynn asked in a hushed whisper, fingertips licking at the sides of Akali's neck.

"I don't think so, no." Akali maintained eye contact as she unbuttoned and unzipped Evelynn's jeans. Once she pulled the woman's jeans down and halfway past her thighs, Akali pressed herself on top of her and gave Evelynn a full, sensual kiss. "You _are_ worth it."

Evelynn flashed a small grin, while Akali gave a little wink. "Care to tell me why you say so?"

Akali exhaled, briefly shaking her head as she thought about her reply. "Because you're the only one who looked at me like this."

"Really now?"

Nodding, Akali also added, "And I'm not just talking about the lustful stares."

"'Course not." Evelynn murmured, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes. "I feel more than _just_ lust for you, darling. But, that doesn't mean I _don't_ want to feel your body against mine either."

"Point taken."

"Now, enough talk." Evelynn started squirming underneath her, hands trying to move her pants lower and legs attempting to kick it off. "I'm more fond of lip-locking rather than talking at this point."

"Okay."

Akali retracted, helping Evelynn out of her jeans before she was tugged back down for another slow, time-consuming kiss. The way their lips melted against one another, their tongues delicately caressing one another, everything about the kisses they shared were filled with unfiltered passion.

Evelynn gasped and was about to speak the second she felt Akali's hands move up and grope her breasts over her tank top, firmly squeezing every second or two as they made-out.

Head turning away and wordlessly telling Akali to let them both have a bit of breathing room, Evelynn gave a shaky breath of content once she felt a pair of lips kiss over her neck and throat.

"Take it off, Kali..." Evelynn somewhat gritted out, hissing when Akali strongly sucked against her neck. "Take everything off for me..."

Akali nodded in the very slightest, but she didn't immediately let up with what she's doing. She continued suckling on Evelynn's skin, the moans of the woman spurring her on and leaving her determined to leave a mark on the smooth, unblemished skin.

Hand pressing firmly against the side of Evelynn's neck to ensure that she won't be able to pull away, Akali's eyes were half-lidded as she sucked with fervor.

Unlike her initial attempts in doing such, Evelynn didn't push her away this time. In fact, the mistress even wrapped her arms around her shoulders, encouraging her to continue marking her territory.

Once Akali pulled back and left a noticeable patch of redness on Evelynn's once flawless neck, she immediately helped her out of her tank top, which was discarded without a pinch of care.

Like Akali, Evelynn was left in her underwear when she was pushed back down on the bed, lips reconnecting with Akali's while their hands dove and messed up each other's loose tresses in the midst of it.

For the second time, Evelynn released a gasp thanks to Akali's sudden groping of her breasts, which were barely clad by the plain yet still alluring-looking black lace bra she had on.

"I told you..." Evelynn breathed out when Akali once again started on the second mark she intended on leaving on her skin. "...to take _everything_ off."

Akali hummed against her skin, nipping at her neck a little bit before slipping her hands underneath Evelynn's back. The bra loosened in a couple of seconds, which told both of them that Akali had successfully unclasped it. The second the lacey undergarment was removed, Akali was quick to switch interests. She left Evelynn's neck alone, but the same couldn't be said to her nipples, which her bodyguard ended up focusing her attention to.

Akali may not have firsthand experience when it came to this type of intimacy, but she does have a clue what to do. Her kneading became gentler, while she made her way down to Evelynn's breasts with a trail of kisses.

Breath becoming more and more uneven, Evelynn arched her back every now and then as Akali kissed her way to down her chest, stopping only when her lips finally reached its destination.

"Mmm...!" Evelynn pursed her lips, trying to suppress the yelp that nearly slipped through when Akali started licking around her left nipple, while the other was being poked and pinched to further tease her.

Akali's eyes were closed as she continued servicing Evelynn, lips nipping at the tip of her nipple and tongue flicking against it. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting Evelynn's own, which were half-lidded and glazed with a layer of tears induced by pleasure.

"Darling, take it easy..." Evelynn murmured, reaching forward and running her hands through Akali's hair. "I'm sensitive there..."

Instead of taking such into consideration, mischief sparked within Akali's head. The normally smug-looking guild mistress was on the verge of taking in ragged breaths, her arousal showing not only in her eyes, but her face as well.

Akali pulled back, earning a quiet groan of protest from Evelynn. No complaints were heard though, especially when the amber-eyed woman realized that her little lover wanted them both to shift positions again.

"Come on." Akali called out in a low whisper, pulling on Evelynn's wrist as she sat down beside her and placed her back on the headboard.

Nodding once and showing off a look of desire, Evelynn climbed on top of Akali, but she didn't settle on her left thigh immediately. She discarded her panties first, dangling them in front of Akali with a little grin before tossing them over her shoulder. As expected, Evelynn instantly went for her bodyguard's lips, tongue swiftly seeking out its partner.

Akali moaned out in pleasure, especially when she felt the wetness now grinding against the skin of her lap. She and Evelynn broke away from one another with their own versions of withheld moans, both affected with how Evelynn was thrusting her hips in a leisure pace, further staining Akali's thigh with her arousal.

"Can't believe you're so wet..." Akali uttered with a breathy chuckle. She reached low and brushed her thumb against Evelynn's clit, her tongue sticking out at the corner of her mouth as she fixed her gaze on the swollen lovebud of the beauty on her lap. "Let's make you wetter."

Evelynn groaned out, nodding as she clutched Akali by her shoulders for a bit of leverage. "You... You love teasing me like this, don't you?"

Grinning, Akali groped her with her free left hand, fingers sinking into the flesh of her breast. Her fingers moved quickly and was pinching and pulling on Evelynn's nipple, driving more pleasurable sensations to run up the other woman's spine.

"This is the first time I've ever seen you like this." Akali never faltered with the movements of her fingers, which were continously teasing Evelynn's nipples and sensitive clit. "So dependent, so needy... so desperate."

Evelynn snarled, one hand moving from Akali's shoulders up to grasping her by her jaw, but the grin on her face didn't leave. "Feeling smug now, aren't we?"

Akali met Evelynn's supposed glare with a cool gaze, fingers pressing down on the little bud she's been prodding. Eyes widening, Evelynn retracted and arched her back with a moan.

The second the guild mistress did arch her back, Akali lunged forward and clasped her lips onto her left nipple, not at all stopping from stimulating the other one even further. She suckled fervently, coaxing more than just a groan from supposedly dominant woman.

"Ohhhh!" Evelynn cried out, her hips thrusting faster and her womanhood dripping more and more of her juices over Akali's thigh. "Akali... Akali... Akali...!"

Akali grinned proudly to herself, biting down on Evelynn's nipple again before she resumed her eager sucking. If Evelynn was massively sensitive when it comes to this part of hers, the she'll damn well take advantage of it.

"You're so loud." Akali commented, only to feel a hand grasp the back of her head and tug painfully. She deserved that, honestly.

"A little more, Kali..." Evelynn gritted out, her thrusting becoming more frantic. "Just a little more...!"

Akali switched in between Evelynn's nipples, wanting to drive the woman crazy with the overstimulation she was performing. No sooner than she had predicted, Evelynn was finally screaming her name out, body twitching and hips jerking as her orgasm consumed her entirely.

One thing's for sure though, Akali would probably get a noise complaint from the neighbours themselves.

Releasing an audible breath, Akali surveyed the mess Evelynn left on her lap. Instead of pulling her hand away, she slipped it underneath and briefly cupped the soaked sex. She licked her lips as she reeled herself back, auditing her honey-stained hand.

Akali nearly jumped when Evelynn abruptly grabbed her wrist, halting her from moving her sullied hand. She snapped her gaze to the woman that she had pleasured, finding the mistress eyeing her with a dark look.

"Clean it." Evelynn commanded, moving Akali's hand until it was hovering right in front of her face. "Lick it clean, now."

Eyes locked with one another, Akali inched her head forward and started doing her lover's bidding. She made sure Evelynn was watching as she licked all her essence away from her very own hand, knowing it inspired more of their primal desire for each other.

"How's it taste, hmm?" Evelynn asked in a husky whisper, once again gripping Akali by her hair.

"Good..."

"Just good?"

Akali shook her head. "It's good. _Very_ good..."

Evelynn smirked, and even though her pace of breathing had yet to stabilize, she leaned in and kissed Akali, tasting herself once their tongues intertwined with one another.

"You are _so_ dead, Akali." Evelynn whispered against her lips before pushing her back and vacating her lap. By instinct, Akali tried following after her, only for her to be shoved back down the bed.

Akali hadn't even been able to push herself back up when she felt a hand suddenly press against her underwear, which was still covering her own dripping sex. The dampness in the undergarment was visible and Evelynn can absolutely feel its soaked state against her very own palm.

"Let's see how desperate _you'll_ get, little mouse."

.....

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.....

.....

It was late at night and Evelynn and Akali can be found cuddling in bed, the guild mistress being the big spoon between them. While Akali had her gaze dazedly fixated on the open window at one side of the room, Evelynn's attention was more on her lover's naked form.

The blanket was merely draped over their lower waist, their body heats keeping them both warm in spite of the cool breeze seeping through the window.

Evelynn took the time to admire Akali's physique, finding it soothing as she traced her fingertips over the firm muscles she found along her little inspection. Although, whenever she did felt like it, she would lean in, clasp her lips against Akali's neck or shoulders and suck until she left a reddish hue on the spot she chose to mark.

If she was going to be bearing hickeys Akali had given her, then she'll return the favor wholeheartedly.

Besides, she absolutely loved passing the time in admiring the dragon tattoo inked all over her back, shoulders and her right bicep.

"You're so quiet, mouse." Evelynn softly spoke, noting how she and Akali had yet to say anything to one another after they finally finished satisfying one another's lust. "Are you regretting what we did?"

Akali sighed, shifting and turning until she was facing Evelynn. She let her hand glide over Evelynn's side, palm tracing the curvaceous figure of the siren. "I don't regret it. Not even a bit."

"Share your thoughts, then?"

"I just don't want this to end." Akali confessed, looking up to meet Evelynn's gaze. "I don't want to go back to the point where I'll just stand there at the side while the boss touches you. Kisses you."

When Akali saw Evelynn stare back at her with amusement in her eyes, she slightly hunched and tried burrowing herself in her bed.

"It's stupid, isn't it? Me being jealous over it. He's your husband, after all."

"I meant everything that I said, Akali." Evelynn told her, hand brushing her hair away from her face. "If _you_ truly mean what you said, about me worth dying for, then I can say the same for you."

"You'd die for me? For reals?"

Evelynn smirked, pinching Akali's chin between her fingers. "You're such a child."

Akali unintentionally pouted at that. "So what if I am? It's not my fault you're old."

"Old? Me?" Evelynn laughed. "So we're at least ten years apart, big deal."

"See? Definitely old."

Evelynn then quirked an eyebrow, flicking her fingers at Akali's nose.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Such a child indeed."

"Shut up."

Chuckling, Evelynn pulled her close and planted a kiss on her forehead. The moment might be nice and light, but when Evelynn spoke again in a low murmur in her hair, Akali became still for a solid second, especially when she heard the unforeseen confession.

"What did you say?" Akali asked, eyes wide and head raising.

Evelynn didn't dodge her gaze. No, the woman even looked down just for their stares to connect with one another. Sincerity coloring her eyes like its natural, gold-like amber hue, Akali never thought they'd be _this_ enthralling.

"Do I really need to repeat myself?"

Nodding somewhat frantically, Akali pushed herself up until she was in a seated position. Her eyes never left Evelynn's, who regarded her with cool stare.

"What did you say?" Akali repeated her initial question, her feeling of disbelief overwhelming her.

Evelynn wore the most delicate and tender-hearted smile she has ever offered Akali, hand inching towards her and gently caressing her cheek. Lips parting, she did what was being asked and finally repeated what caused the incredulity within her bodyguard.

"I might be falling in love with you."

A confession uttered in crystal clarity.

Words that bared the always guarded mistress of the Thieves Guild.

It was a revelation of the weakness she developed. A verbal proof that it wasn't just herself she intended to look after.

"You... can't be serious."

"What if I am?" Evelynn tilted her head, pulling her hand away and letting her fingertips brush tenderly against the skin of Akali's cheek. "I don't think this is the right moment to make jokes, after all."

"But, you're married..."

Instead of sighing and just dismissing the fact that she is indeed still Fate's wife, Evelynn adjusted herself on the bed, sitting up as well before resting her back against the headboard with a pillow propped up behind her.

"I know. And, I know he controls this city. Not completely, but in some way, he's one of those who owns it. It's not just Graves and Fortune." Evelynn then tlted her head again to the other side this time, gazes still locked as she said, "I have a question that's just _desperate_ for an answer from you."

"And what is it?"

"As much as it would make a fitting tragic love story for us to die for each other because we think it's worth it, I don't want to end my time with you so soon. Especially not with me feeling so many things for you."

"What're you trying to say?"

"Akali, my darling little mouse," Evelynn took one of her hands in a loose yet meaningful grasp, smiling a little as she said, "will you run away with me?"

**_Ba-bump!_ **

While Akali's face and the tips of her ears flushed with a visible shade of red, she could feel her heart skip more than just a pounding beat. The whole question itself wasn't worded to even be subtle with what the vixen wanted, and it surprised Akali.

Emotions bearing so easily presented along with a heart Akali never thought she'd personally have on the palm of her head. Everything about the deeply heartfelt invitation was _indescribable_.

"Did I... Did I just hear you right?"

"You're worth starting over again for." Evelynn confessed with a small smile. "Even if it means you and I will have to go into hiding for years, I'll gladly do it. But, only if you would as well."

"This sounds more like a proposal."

Evelynn chuckled. "Maybe it is."

Akali blinked back at her, the redness on her face becoming more evident than before. Never in her life did she ever expect a wife of a mob boss would offer her this choice. It really did feel like a marriage proposal that came out of nowhere.

She had yet to say a reply when Evelynn gave another chuckle, shaking her head before bringing Akali's hand up to her lips and placing a little kiss over her knuckles.

"Don't be pressured, darling. You'll make it out of this alive whether you choose to come with me or not."

"What do you mean?"

"If you feel like this is too fast for you, or if I'm being too forward with my advances, then feel free to walk out of this." Evelynn explained. "And I'll make sure Fate doesn't come after you."

"Where will I go though? You said it yourself, your husband controls this city. I'm not safe here."

"Exactly why I made arrangements."

Akali blinked at her again, somewhat befuddled. "Arrangements?"

"Mm-hm. Tomorrow night, there'll be someone here to pick you up. They'll bring you to Freljord, help you get settled and give you a job either in or out of their mafia. You have a _choice_ on what to take."

"Wait, wait, wait," Akali shook her head as she shifted in front of Evelynn, wearing a confused expression as she continued with, "if I'm leaving this city, what about you?"

Evelynn's smile returned as she gave Akali's hand a squeeze. "That's something you'll have to decide for me."

"What?"

"If you'll have me, Akali, then I'll come with you to Freljord." Her smile then faltered into a forlorn curve. "If not, then I'll stay here with Fate. Keep up my act and make sure he doesn't find out about everything."

Head bowing for a moment, Akali found herself contemplating deliberately. When she looked back at Evelynn, she found the woman merely gazing at her with a patient look. It was clear she was sincere about her offer and that's what somehow frightened Akali.

If she did go with the second choice, then that means she'll not only have to leave the city and somehow live without worry about someone suddenly stabbing her from the back, but it was also highly likely for her not to see Evelynn again.

The thought alone was enough to make her wince.

"Darling?"

"I have only till tomorrow night?"

Evelynn smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for rushing you like this. We just don't have much time. Tobias is already suspecting, and I don't want him to kill you because of me."

Akali knew she needed to think well and hard about her decision, but every time she turned to look at Evelynn, her mind seemed to be pushing her to just take the leap. This was not only Evelynn's, but her own life on the line as well.

A deep sigh left her and for a moment, Evelynn thought Akali finally made a choice. One that didn't involve her in her future.

But then, Akali took her hand and enveloped it between both of her own.

"It feels like it's too good to be true, but even now, when you're about to lose everything you have, you still want to do this." She murmured with a tone of awe in her voice. "I never thought I'd be in a situation like this, but you're the only one I could trust in my entire life from this point onward."

"And by that, you mean...?"

It was Akali's turn to give a squeeze in return, gazing into Evelynn's eyes as she said with utter certainty, "I'll run away with you."

The smile that became sculpted on Evelynn's lips didn't only make her heart flutter, but it also beamed with hope and reassurance. She lost sight of it shortly after its appearance, for Evelynn herself pulled her in for a warm embrace.

"You won't regret it, Akali. I promise."

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

It was early in the morning, maybe around seven o'clock, and the delicious smell of eggs was already wafting in the air. At the small kitchen, the guild mistress of the city's Thieves Guild can be found cooking hers and her bodyguard's morning meal.

Akali herself was seated on top of the counter just behind Evelynn, munching on the toast the woman had made for her. She smiled at Evelynn when the latter finally finished the eggs, turned around and held up a plate of the mentioned food.

"Did you usually do this for the boss?"

"With Fate? No." Evelynn said with a shake of her head, placing the plate right beside Akali before standing right in front of her, allowing her to loosely lock her legs around her. She smiled as she leaned up and planted a light kiss on Akali's lips. "Don't forget to pack all the things you want to bring with you, alright? I'll be seeing you again at the lobby downstairs tonight. Don't you dare be late."

Akali nodded, but instead of letting Evelynn step out of her hold, she draped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her in for another quick kiss. "We're really getting out of town, huh?"

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"It's not that." She muttered, shaking her head. "More like I'm worried about us."

"Fate gave you a little pick-up job today, didn't he? You showed me the text."

Again, Akali nodded. "It's just a quick one. I'll be back before three if I finish early."

"Good. Then, just go along and dance with the music he's playing." Evelynn cooed, giving her nose a little boop with her finger. "It won't be long until we dance to our own song."

"You really love dancing, don't you? Even your little saying relate to dancing."

Evelynn gave a little grin. "More than you might know, darling."

This was a nice start for Akali's day, honestly. Both of theirs, even. Regardless of the risk and possible threat that loomed over them like a restless ghost, the two of them still seemed to find the time to spend in a little bubble of their own.

After finishing their breakfast, Evelynn was picked up by Elise, who mentioned something about a matter Fate wanted her to tend to for today. A passionate goodbye kiss and a little wave later, Akali was left to prepare her things for tonight before she took her own departure from her apartment.

Like always ever since she began working as the guild mistress' bodyguard, she wore her suit and the new black tie with a red vine-like pattern she had received as a gift from Evelynn a few days ago.

By the time she rounded around the corner of the street, there was already a car there driven by none other than one of Fate's men. The boss had already informed her about her ride, so she didn't see its presence unusual.

"Says here the boss wants us to go pick something up at a print shop at the outskirts of the city before we head to the address of the client." Akali told the man he's with, Kegan, the details in the messages she just received from their superior.

Kegan nodded. "He told me already."

"Oh, okay."

Since they were on the other side of the city, it took them more than an hour to get to the other side where the print shop can be found. When they did manage to pick up a brown envelope, one that neither of them even thought about sneaking a peek in, they were supposed to head to the provided address.

Much to Akali's mild surprise though, Kegan drove her all around the city. The man told her how the boss had also given him a couple of quick drop off tasks and that he had permission to delay Akali's current one for the sake of his given orders.

With the traffic all around the busy city though, Akali was becoming a bit tired and a little dizzy with how they were practically roaming the entirety of Valoran. She was at least thankful that Kegan did all the driving and all she had to do was sit there at the front seat and make sure the envelope she had initially picked up was secured in her possession.

It was honestly surprising how the day passed so quickly, but Akali figured it might be because she was anxious about hers and Evelynn's plan for tonight. They were, after all, going to flee from the city, yet here she was, doing a bunch of errands for the man they're concealing an affair from.

"Really?" Akali asked when they stopped in front of an old-looking apartment building that seemed to have seen better days. "The client we're working for lives here? Talk about cliché."

"The client just wants to meet here." Kegan muttered, withdrawing a small pistol from inside his blazer. He then offered it to Akali, who looked at the weapon with a slightly questioning gaze.

"What's that for?"

Kegan stared blankly at her. "Just take it."

"I'm not much for guns."

An exasperated sigh. "Take. It."

It was probably not the greatest time for Akali to stick with her usual. She shook her head in protest, opening the car door and stepping one foot out. Before leaving the vehicle completely, she shook her head at Kegan and gave her final protest.

"I'll be fine, Kegan. Don't worry 'bout it." Akali said with a light dismissive wave. "This isn't the first time I did a drop-off, y'know."

"...Fine. Have it your way."

Akali proudly nodded. "I will. Besides, I have my knife here."

"I'll be waiting here, then."

Giving one more nod, Akali finally exited the car and went inside the building. She rode the elevator up to the very top, finding the unit number she was told to meet her client at.

When she did arrive at the designated apartment, she found the door open, which gave a wordless invitation. Fate did say in the messages that the client was expecting her today.

Envelope clutched with one hand, Akali walked into the unit, only to find another one of Fate's men. Specifically, the scrawny but mischievous and always seemed to be plotting Twitch _"Rat"_ Shadowfoot.

"Akali." Twitch greeted with a tip of his fedora.

"Hey there, Rat." Yes, people, with the exception of their boss, usually called Twitch by his little alias. "What're you doing here?"

Twitch just nodded to the direction of the common area of the unit. "Just go right on ahead."

Akali nodded and proceeded, but with every step she took, she felt like the room was getting smaller for her. Even her tie felt a little too tight for her liking. She had a bad feeling about the drop-off all of a sudden.

As much as she wanted to back out though, she knew it was too late.

Especially when she saw Fate standing there at the window, leaning on the wall and with a cigarette hanging at the corner of his lips.

The audible slam of the door behind her informed her that Twitch left them alone, which further showed how this so called drop-off was not what she initially expected it to be.

A greeting barely even left her lips when Fate suddenly cleared his throat, taking the cigarette from his lips and pushing it against the wall to put it out. He looked at Akali as he flicked the now useless cigarette aside, crossing his arms before he nodded his head towards her.

"Time is money, so I'll be frank with what I have to say to you." Fate started, taking his hat off and tossing it to a nearby chair. "You think you're a real slick one, huh, squirt?"

"I'm sorry?" Akali began, the sweat of anxiety forming underneath the collar of her shirt.

"Heh, don't play dumb on me." Fate then eyed the envelope she was holding. "Why don't you shed some light for yourself? Open it."

"Open it?" She lifted the envelope up a bit. "Open this?"

"Go on, I'm waiting."

Akali swallowed as inconspicuously as she could, lowering her gaze to the envelope, which she hesitantly started to open with her mildly trembling fingers. Fate's gaze never left her and the longer it stayed fixated on her, the more unsettled she became.

She was literally just about to withdraw the first picture when she heard a frustrated click of a tongue and the envelope was abruptly snatched away from her.

Fate took the envelope and withdrew the pictures, tossing the former aside before he turned back to Akali and said, "Feast your eyes on these."

The photos were casted towards the old-looking dining table, scattering across the surface and baring themselves for Akali's eyes, which widened upon the sight of each and every one of them.

Especially the ones that showed her and Evelynn engaged in a passionate kiss in her apartment's bedroom. Judging from the shot, it looks like it was taken through a window.

Regardless, it was one of the many proofs of her affair with the guild mistress.

Fate was now glaring at her. "Did you really think I wouldn't know?"

The pounding of her heart was deafening, yes, but Fate's words pierced her ears like knives. She felt like she was being suffocated by the pressure of the confrontation, and she found herself regretting not taking the pistol Kegan offered her beforehand.

A scoff. "Well, I'm not one to hold grudges anyway."

The statement didn't calm Akali in any way.

**_Click!_ **

Akali tensed. It was the click of a gun. A pistol being prepared to fire at something, or _someone._

"Especially not against someone who's dead."

**_BANG!_ **

There was barely any time for her to react. Although she wasn't tossed back, she sure did feel like she was. The bullet pierced through her abdomen as quickly as she had blinked, and the pain that shot through her body was like the definition of agony.

" _Hak...!_ " Akali choked on her breath, hands shooting to cover the bullet wound she now had on her stomach.

Fate watched with fury in his eyes as Akali's legs weakened beneath her. He smirked when she fell on her knees, trying to keep herself up despite the protests of her agony-filled body.

"I can't beat you up close, so don't take it personally that I just shot you." Fate said as he approached her, withdrawing a card from his blazer. "Besides, you brought a knife to a gunfight. Literally."

His rumbling chuckle fell on deaf ears. Akali fell onto the floor once he pushed her back, one hand still yet weakly pressing against her wound. He bent down, grinning at her as he grabbed at her tie, roughly pulling it off of her.

"I'll make sure my wife gets the message." He said with a smile, pressing the tie against Akali's wound and causing her to cry out in pain.

Once he was sure the tie was stained with enough of her blood, he pulled back and flicked the playing card he had in hand. It landed a step or two away from Akali's head, the image of a joker plastered on the face of it.

"You're the first _and_ last." Fate said, pressing his boot down and right on top of Akali's midriff. Again, she cried out. "Make sure to paint the floor red, alright?"

For a couple of times, Fate pressed and roughly stomped on Akali, making sure he coaxed more and more blood out of the wound he gave her. He smiled when he found most of the lower part of her shirt was soaked with the burgundy red color, finding the image very satisfying.

"H-Hah..." Akali was only able to choke out a breath, gasping when Fate finally removed his foot from her. He wiped his shoe against the sleeve of her blazer before he made his way out of the apartment.

"Do me a favor, squirt. Bleed faster."

And that was the last thing Fate told her before he exited the apartment, slamming the door as he took his leave.

Fate wasn't kidding when he said he didn't like wasting time. The confrontation was brief but direct. Apparently, he didn't have time to spend in further questioning Akali and her reasons for why she even involved herself with his wife.

Akali grunted and growled as she tried standing up, but every time her body bent even a little bit, pain would strike up her spine and render her back to her previous position. Her breaths turned into panting, gaze dazedly staring at the ceiling as her breathing became more and more labored with each passing minute.

While her right hand remained and tried decreasing the bleeding, her left shakily withdrew her phone from her blazer, calling the number Evelynn had given her.

**"THE NUMBER YOU DIALED IS NOT YET IN SERVICE. PLEASE TRY YOUR CALL LATER."**

The phone was off. Either that, or it was permanently not in service anymore.

Akali thought about calling a different number, one that would bring an ambulance where she was at the moment. But, she figured that even if there were paramedics that came, Fate would eventually find her and finish what he started.

The phone dropped on the floor with a thud, her gaze once again staring up at the ceiling. As expected, her breathing was slowly becoming ragged, but she found herself unable to worry about her inevitable death.

This was it.

This was what she told Evelynn. What would happen to her. To them. Just like how she predicted it would go, she was going to meet her end and she could do nothing but stare into space.

One of her hands though, it reached up to the collar of her shirt, touching the place where her tie was once wound around. She released a trembling breath as she whispered her last words.

"I trusted you..."

And she paid the price for doing such.

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

Nails clawing at the sleeves of her coat, Evelynn's gaze was darting right and left every minute or two as she waited on the sidewalk and right in front of Akali's apartment building.

"We need to leave." The casually-dressed man murmured behind her, sitting on the apartment steps and looking through his phone to look inconspicuous. He was the driver of the vehicle parked two cars away from them. He's from the Lionheart Mafia.

"She's not here yet." Evelynn said, her response sounding more like a snarl rather than a mere reply.

"Either we leave now, or you get caught up here. If you do, that's your problem. The Lionhearts are playing their part here, I suggest you do the same."

Where was Akali? She was supposed to be there.

Had she failed? Had she broken her promise? Did one of her agents not go through with their word?

Evelynn pursed her lips, eyebrows knitting in deep concern. _'Please be alive, Akali. Please.'_

_**Vroom!** _

The man behind her immediately grabbed his pistol and withdrew it from its holster, pointing at the motorcycle that stopped right in front of Evelynn.

It was Elise.

The guild mistress raised a hand at the subordinate behind her, gesturing for him to lower his pistol. Elise took off her helmet, making eye contact with her superior.

"Elise, report."

"Fate's mansion is up in flames, the distraction is fully effective. Zyra just left the city with the Lionhearts and the package. If we leave now, we'll be long gone by the time he looks for you."

Evelynn hadn't even said or done anything when the man behind her grasped her arm and said, "I told you, didn't I? We need to go. We're playing our part, so now play _yours_."

And with that, she was tugged towards the car, which left her no choice but to leave hers and Akali's initial rendezvous point.

The vehicle rode through the city smoothly with Elise leading the drive. Evelynn sat at the backseat, nails scraping and scratching against her lap as she thought about the woman she made a promise to.

It was taking so much of her to not burst out in tears.

A part of her regretted getting rid of her phone. Fate could trace it, which is why she ditched it in the first place. She realized too late that Akali had no form of contact to her right now, so she was left to just hope that her lover makes it to their designated meet-up.

Unfortunately, Evelynn was left with nothing but her own safety and the fading view of the city lights behind them.

The spark of hope within her flickering.

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

In the large and cozy-looking office in the estate, Braum Lionheart sat behind the wide and polished mahogany desk and on his expensive leather swivel chair as he listened to the reports of his three daughters.

"The medical equipment we ordered overseas arrived two hours ago and the firearms smuggled with it. All of it was moved to the storage warehouse just like what you requested." Lissandra Lionheart reported, turning the page in the folder she had in hand. "In other news, the children and caretakers in the _Lionheart Orphanage_ sent their regards and are hoping for another visit from you soon."

Braum nodded. "Ha! Then I shall visit again soon. Make room in schedule, yes?"

"I'll make sure to tell your secretary."

"What about you, Sejuani?"

"Sarah Fortune sent two crates of firearms as a gift for new beginnings. Shipment is expected to arrive in two to three days." Sejuani Lionheart, the second born of the three sisters, informed with an uninterested tone. "As for the gang at the outskirts of the city, they've been... talked to and won't be bothering us anytime soon."

"Talked to or pummeled into submission?" The youngest between the three, Ashe Lionheart, asked, raising an eyebrow at the much taller and stronger woman.

Sejuani merely scoffed and crossed her arms. "What's the difference?"

While Ashe half-heartedly rolled her eyes, Braum gave his usual booming laugh as he nodded his head, looking proud of what his second child had done.

"Very good. People must know Lionheart Mafia is _still_ mafia, yes?"

"Most certainly." The trio agreed in unison, each of them seemingly having their own tone of agreement. Lissandra and Ashe sounded resigned, while Sejuani shared the same feeling of pride their father presented.

"Braum is proud." The patriarch of the Lionheart family grinned at the three before asking for other updates concerning their businesses.

Eventually, the two older women were dismissed, leaving the youngest among all of them with Braum, who queried about a much different matter. Something that involved the deal he had struck with the mistress of the Thieves Guild of Valoran City.

"How is she?"

"Which one?" Ashe asked back with a quirk of an eyebrow.

"Miss Evelynn."

"Ah, she settled in quite nicely. She has also acquainted herself with our people and they seem to be welcoming her with open arms."

"Aha! Of course, of course. Lionheart Mafia is family, and Miss Evelynn is family now."

Ashe nodded. "Yes, indeed she is. She has provided me all the contacts you wanted. It's in the list inside the folder I gave you."

"Good, good. How 'bout little girl? How is she?"

"She lost a lot of blood, but our people got her to me in time. She's still recovering."

Braum grinned again. "Good work."

"Thank you, father. I'll update you if ever anything significant happens."

"Yes, please."

"If you'd excuse me, I must go."

"Off to care for Miss Du Couteau?" There was a little tease in his tone as he asked, which inspired a light blush in Ashe's cheeks. With her pale complexion, it was easily noticeable.

"She was just stabbed, father." Ashe muttered, fiddling with the stethoscope resting around her neck. "Give her a break. I reported to you first, didn't I?"

"Braum still curious why beautiful woman like you loves violent woman like her."

Rather exasperatedly, Ashe sighed. "That's a bit hypocritical coming from a mafia boss, don't you think?"

Chuckling and shaking his head at his daughter's retort, Braum waved her off. "Fine, fine. Braum will let you go. But, before Ashe goes, send Miss Evelynn here. We have lots to discuss."

Ashe nodded and excused herself once more, finally taking her own leave to tend to her own lover. She had initially been checking up on the young female that came along when they managed to successfully poach Evelynn from Fate's guild.

Oh, surprised?

Yes, this was all planned.

And no one can take the credit of everything but the three Lionheart sisters.

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

Fingers slightly twitching and eyebrows furrowing a tad bit, the raven-haired female slowly roused out of her unconscious state. Although her eyes took a while before they managed to open completely, but when it finally adjusted to the lighting of the room she's in, azure orbs can be found shining with confusion and disbelief.

_'I'm... alive?'_

The steady beeping of the heart monitor she was hooked up to seemed to say yes. Her head turned slightly to the right, spying the said medical equipment for a moment before she gradually faced to her left, where a hushed conversation can be heard.

With the silence, save for the murmurs from the two women conversing at the side, every little sound could possibly echo in the room. It's the reason why she easily eavesdropped on the pair interacting at the side.

"I told you to be careful." A woman, probably a few years older than her, scolded a red-haired female with a scar on her left eye. The latter was merely staring at the one with bleached white hair, seemingly amused and looking fond as she was medically treated. "What's the use of the gun I gave you if you aren't going to use it?"

"It's kind of hilarious and ironic that a doctor like you would say that." Came the little jesting response of the redhead. "What happened to the do no harm oath you doctors make?"

"Katarina."

"You're cute when you're angry."

A stressed sigh. "You are absolutely despicable."

Katarina, the one with the scar, grinned, briefly stopping the bandaging process the doctor was performing on her shoulder when she reeled her in for a quick kiss. "I know you find it attractive though."

"Oh shut up."

"Uh..."

Both women snapped their gazes to the bed, where the one and only _Tethi Akali_ can be found looking at them with a mixed expression of awkwardness, confusion and caution.

"...where am I? And, who are you two?"

Katarina rolled her eyes at the interruption, nudging the other woman and murmuring about finishing the whole patch up process. Once it was done, she got off the examination table and gave the doctor another kiss on the lips. This was one far longer and more explicit, much to Akali's discomfort.

"I'll see you later."

Akali waited until Katarina was gone before she finally refocused her attention to the doctor, who approached her after she cleaned up the things that were left on the examination table.

"Doctor Ashe Lionheart." The woman introduced with a small nod of her head.

"Lionheart?" Akali reacted with wide eyes. "As in, the mafia? From Freljord?"

Ashe nodded. "Correct."

"Wait a sec, how did I get here? _Who_ brought me here?"

"Ah, yes, Evelynn told me about how you're _completely_ _unaware_ of the deal she made with my father."

"Deal? What deal?"

"To summarize and save us both the hassle in explaining and understanding, my father wants Evelynn. Specifically speaking, her network of informants, contacts and other notable connections." Ashe started with her explanation. "In exchange for her loyalty and services, us Lionhearts have vowed to not only offer her the opportunity to have her own Thieves Guild, but also a fresh beginning for both you and her."

"Evelynn set all this up?"

"That she did."

"But, Fate knew... He shot me."

"And Evelynn predicted something like that would happen."

"You people rescued me, then?"

" _My_ people did, yes." Ashe coolly corrected. "You're quite lucky Fate didn't hit any vital organs."

"I... I thought I was going to die."

Ashe shook her head. "We couldn't let that happen. If you had indeed died, then everything would have been for naught."

Akali's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"We took a gamble on you. We could've only benefited with this deal if you survived through your confrontation with Fate. And, as you can see now, you did. Therefore, everyone wins."

"Where's Evelynn?"

"Talking with my father." Ashe simply answered before ushering her to lay back down. "I'll have food delivered here in a minute. For now, stay here while I notify them about your awakening."

Akali hadn't even been able to process everything completely when Ashe finished her little checkup on her before leaving to do what she had said. The privacy provided for her gave her a chance to just sit there and think about everything.

Her hands half-consciously ran over her stomach, feeling the bandages underneath the hospital gown she was wearing. A quick glance around the room told her that she wasn't in an actual hospital though. The window giving a view of a wide and beautiful backyard garden was enough to clarify that.

Guilt suddenly invaded her.

When she was shot and left to bleed to her death, she had assumed Evelynn wouldn't be able to go through with her promise. She thought the woman failed her just like that.

Yes, she may have said that she trusted her, but she felt so guilty with the fact that she gave up on hope so easily. Granted, she was on the verge of death that time, so she couldn't be exactly blamed for it, but still, the guilt was there.

Negative thoughts aside though, Akali found herself also being flooded with a wave of relief. She was still involved with a mafia, but if Ashe's presence and her earlier explanations were any indications, then that means they're now associated with a different mob.

Akali had just recalled the dinner discussion Evelynn had with Sarah when the door opened again. She expected the doctor to come back with a couple of other people to further explain, but she was thankful that wasn't the case.

It was Evelynn.

"Akali..." The woman uttered her name with absolute relief, approaching her immediately and taking her in for a hug that she was quick to return.

"Evelynn, I...-"

"I'm so glad you're awake." Evelynn murmured, giving her a light squeeze before pulling back and seating herself on the edge of the bed. "You don't know how much I've been worried about you."

"How long have I been out?"

"Nearly two days if you hadn't woken up now."

"Oh..." Akali somewhat shrunk on her bed, shoulders hunching and eyes averting.

"Is there something wrong, darling? Are you in pain?"

"No, it's not that."

"Then, what is it?"

"You did this... _All_ of this," Akali emphasized with a short gesture at her sides. "for us to make it out of Valoran alive. Especially me. But, when Fate shot me, I thought I was... dead. As soon as my phone call to you didn't go through, I felt like an idiot for trusting you. I felt _naive_."

"You thought I would let you die just like that?"

Akali meekly nodded, still unable to meet Evelynn's gaze. "I'm sorry..."

"I don't blame you."

Head raising, Akali looked at Evelynn with an owlish look. "You... don't?"

Evelynn shook her head. "Of course not. You were shot. On the verge of death and had no one to help you. Not even me."

"But you did. You _planned_ this. You knew he was going to come after me and you had a backup plan for it." Akali wilted a little on the bed. "I feel guilty. I didn't betray you or anything, but knowing I _doubted_ my trust for you is disturbing me."

"In some way, I did break your trust. You got hurt and that's my fault. I wasn't careful enough. It was my husband who shot you, after all."

"Yeah, but you weren't the one who _ordered_ him to do it."

"Regardless, Akali, you're so young. You have so much ahead of you, and I don't want to be the reason for your life to be cut short." Evelynn took one Akali's hands, thumb brushing over her knuckles. "But, I want to be the one that fills it with adventure and excitement."

Akali's lips finally curved into a small smile. She started tugging on Evelynn's hand, but it was only a light pull. The woman understood the gesture and swiftly adjusted her place on the bed. In just a couple of shifts, Akali was snuggled in Evelynn's arms, a breath of content seeping between her lips.

"Sounds like fun." Akali murmured, listening to the calm heartbeats of her lover.

"Not to appear eager or anything, but..." Evelynn gave Akali a little nudge. "...where would you like to live? Freljord or Piltover?"

"Piltover? Seriously? We have a choice to live in the City of Progress?"

Evelynn chuckled, hearing the excitement in her lover's voice. "One of Braum's daughters has an apartment there. He offered to set up a headquarters for my very own Thieves Guild there. That is, _if_ we choose to live in Piltover."

"Doesn't Piltover have an uptight police force?"

"They do, but remember the doctor that treated you? She's good friends with the Sheriff, and the Lionhearts have been aiding their police force every time they're in need of _information_ , mainly those involving crime syndicates."

"And the Sheriff's completely okay with the fact that there's going to be a guild of _thieves_ in the city?"

"I know it sounds ironic and too sweet of a deal," Evelynn started with a chuckle. "but as long as we don't disrupt the peace in the city, then we'll be just fine. After all, my image of a Thieves Guild is less _conspicuous_ than Fate's. We steal, trade and sell information, that's it."

"What about Fate though? Won't he come after us?"

Evelynn smirked. "Leave that to the Lionhearts."

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

_Few Months Later..._

The audible thud of the gym bag being dropped on the floor echoed in the apartment, its owner plopping down the sofa with a loud sigh of relief. Not only was the sofa extremely comfortable, but the cool temperature of the unit thanks to the centralized air conditioning was also a big plus.

Summer may be nice and all, but Akali never thought she'd be so thankful to be back home and under a roof that shielded her from the rays of the sun outside.

Hair tied up in a somewhat messy ponytail and wearing a casual green shirt and black jogging shorts, Akali looked as chill as her current attire. She had just gotten back from the gym two blocks away from the apartment and now, she was just resting a little before she leaves the apartment again and reports to her lovely boss for some work.

_**Click! Slam!** _

"Evelynn?"

"Darling, I have another death threat letter for you~" Evelynn, who seemed to have been the one that had entered the apartment, told her in a sing-song manner. "Would you still like to read it or should I just have it burned and have the sender found and dealt with?"

Instead of being afraid, Akali found herself snickering. One of the things she developed throughout the months was her bravery and lack of fear in threats similar to the one her lover was telling her about now. Ever since she and Evelynn came to Piltover and officially started their life together, her life has never been deemed boring. First few weeks were peaceful, yes, but as days passed, gangs tried tearing them down and threatening them with and without force.

Of course Akali eventually found out from Evelynn that those who crossed them were _'handled'_ by none other than Sejuani and her people.

"You decide." She called back, eyes already focused on the archway she expected Evelynn to stand at and come into sight.

"Alright then, I'll have the sender found and be hushed. I'm easy to talk to, honestly." Evelynn replied with a chuckle, finally walking into Akali's line of vision.

Much to her surprise, Evelynn, who's dressed in an all white suit and black pumps, had bloodstains sprayed across the blazer she was wearing. Akali wasn't even able to let herself be distracted with the fact that Evelynn wore nothing underneath the crimson-sullied blazer itself.

"What the hell!?" Akali shot off the couch and immediately approached Evelynn, who merely quirked an eyebrow at her. "Why are you covered in blood? Are you hurt? Who did this to you? Were you stabbed? Shot?"

Evelynn stared back at her with complete amusement, and only when Akali gave her a light punch on the arm did she finally provide a reply that left the other baffled.

"Don't worry, it's not mine."

"...What?"

"The blood." Evelynn gestured to her torso for a second. "It's not mine, so don't panic."

"Whose blood is it, then!?"

"Darling, shh." Evelynn used the death threat letter to give Akali's lips a harmless slap. "The neighbours might hear you."

"The neighbours might...-oh for God's sake, Evelynn! You probably walked into the building with all those bloodstains on your clothes! And you're worried the neighbours might hear me?"

"No one saw me except that old lady who has _terrible_ eyesight." Evelynn then rolled her eyes as she murmured like a child, "She even had the audacity to critic my clothes. Apparently, she thought I was wearing something white with red polkadots."

Akali stared back at Evelynn as if she was losing her mind. "Can you at least tell me whose blood that is and why are you covered in it?"

"Now you're just exaggerating. I am _not_ covered in it."

"Evelynn."

A little sigh. "Fine. It was from this man that tried mugging me after I bought something from a jewelry store."

"During broad daylight?" Akali groaned. "I told you to take me with you or at least one of your agents if you're going shopping."

"I only bought _one_ jewelry."

"Yeah, but still. The criminals here in Piltover are braver than those in other cities."

"Or dumber." Evelynn casually suggested, shrugging. "Anyway, would you like to see what I bought? It also comes with a question."

"What? What're you talking about?"

Still looking absolutely calm and unfazed with her blood-blanketed blazer, she started digging something inside her jacket. As she searched for whatever it was she wanted to show Akali, she chose to tell her all about how she _'accidentally'_ cut a few of the mugger's fingers when he made his attempt. The blood had sprayed at her clothes before the man cried in pain and sprinting away from her, cursing and damning her to Hell as he did.

"What did you use to cut his fingers off?"

"Oh, I used the knife you gave me."

"I thought you left that in our bedroom."

"Of course not. I bring it with me all the time. It's my lucky charm." Evelynn gave her a little wink before she finally withdrew something from her blazer's inner pocket.

Plain may it be, Akali's eyes widened at the sight of the small black box in Evelynn's hand, which was flicked open without much difficulty. The ring that then stared back at her almost made her heart stop beating in that very moment.

Gaze snapping back to Evelynn, she found the woman smiling innocently at her.

"What... is this?"

"I probably should have changed clothes first or maybe even waited for tonight, but I just couldn't keep this little thing to myself any longer."

Akali sucked in a breath when Evelynn stepped back and began kneeling on one knee. Her hands darted forward and clutched the woman's arms, leaving her in an awkward half-kneeled position.

"Uhh, Akali darling, I can't kneel if you...-"

"Are you proposing?"

Evelynn tilted her head right and left as if what she was trying to do wasn't obvious. "Maybe if you'd let me go, I'll be able to kneel properly and give you a nice, little speech."

"I do."

A quirked eyebrow. "You do what?"

"I will marry you."

Evelynn stared at her, still in her awkward positioning, before breaking out in a tinkling laughter. Deciding to finally stand back up to her straight posture, she looked at Akali with absolute fondness written all over her face.

"Is it because of the ring? The ring _does_ look amazing, doesn't it? I took inspiration from your tatt..-"

Evelynn was silenced by Akali, who jumped at her and started a kiss she was happy to participate in. She nearly dropped the box if she didn't have such quick reflexes. With one hand, she clutched the velvet case, while the other was firmly secured around Akali.

When Akali pulled back, she had a wide smile on her face, which somewhat brightened even more when it was met with Evelynn's own. The amber-eyed siren leaned in and gave her a kiss on the tip of her nose before bringing the box back up between them, reopening it and retrieving the ring from its place before depositing the case in her pocket. Taking Akali's hand in hers, she gave her finger a little caress with her thumb before she started slipping the band around it.

"I know you and I have only been together for a couple of months, but..." Evelynn looked back up to Akali and winked. "...you're honestly the only one I see myself growing old with."

Akali's eyes sparkled at that. "You really mean that?"

"I went through so much just for us to get where we are, and I'd honestly do it all again if it means you and I end up together in the end."

Redirecting her focus to the ring snugly wound around her finger, Akali found herself admiring it for a moment. The band of the ring was in a pattern of a single dragon, its main body being made out of pure silver. There was a beautiful blue diamond perched on the very head of the ring itself, held securely by four prongs. There were also small white diamonds encrusted in the bases of the mentioned prongs, which added more than just a pinch of extravagance to the centerpiece.

"I can't believe I'm engaged..." Akali unconsciously whispered, an awestruck look in her eyes as she looked at the ring. "...and to a woman who's covered in blood at that."

"The blood _does_ add a flare to my attire, doesn't it?"

"I prefer seeing you all clean and less bloodied."

A chuckle. "Of course."

"But still though... Wow. I'm engaged."

"Mine and Fate's marriage is in the process of being annulled, and from what I was told, you and I will be able to have our wedding at the end of the year."

"We should... We should celebrate." Akali laughed to herself as she said, "I just can't believe this. I'm engaged. To _you_ , of all people."

"Can you think of someone else to spend the rest of your life with?" Evelynn asked, before adding, "If you can, please don't hesitate to give me their names, so I can have them erased from existence."

Akali once again snickered at the face of another _'threat'_. She shook her head and wound her arms around Evelynn's neck, smiling up at her as she said, "I tried thinking of one, but the only thing that popped in my head is your name."

Evelynn smiled, looking rather smug. "Good."

"And... I think I just thought of a way how we can celebrate."

"Oh?"

Akali leaned close, pressing herself against Evelynn and letting her lips, which she licked teasingly, hover just in front of Evelynn's own. "Let's dance?"

"Here? Right now?"

"Yeah. I'll move the tables and couches aside. Play some music in the speakers and all."

"Well, that's an irresistible offer, isn't it?"

"...You should change clothes first though."

Evelynn chuckled. "Give me five minutes, mouse."

Akali huffed, but nonetheless released her. "I told you not to call me that."

"I know."

Once Evelynn did make her way past her and towards their bedroom, she gave a wink over her shoulder before she unbuttoned her blazer and took it off. The coat fell from her shoulders and hung from one hand as she strutted away, letting Akali admire her smooth and flawless back.

Akali licked her lips again as she thought of two things.

What the hell did she do in her past life to have such a gorgeous femme fatale as her lover?

_'Dance first, sex later.'_

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Here it is! The second part of "Discreet"! I hope all of you enjoyed it, cuz I myself definitely enjoyed writing all this~ :D
> 
> Like I said in the first part, this was inspired by a Skyrim mission, specifically the one that involved the Thieves Guild. ^u^
> 
> The tango scene in the start of the chapter was inspired by the scene between Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere in the movie "Shall We Dance?" ^^
> 
> Just to answer any possible questions, yes, Kegan was also in on Evelynn's plan, which is why he offered the gun to Akali. Twitch is also Evelynn's eyes and ears in Fate's guild and he and Kegan were the ones that called for Zyra and the Lionhearts to help Akali.
> 
> And yes, my top and most favorite League ship, Frozen Lotus (Katarina x Ashe) made it into the story, cuz why the hell not? :P
> 
> Anyway, this is the end of the two-shot story, "Discretion is Advised." Thanks to everyone who left their thoughts about this story! Your comments are very much appreciated~

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: The entire plotline of this particular story was inspired by a mission from Skyrim, which I play whenever I want to take a break from typing, League or other stuff.
> 
> This was originally intended to have more than just 11,400+ words, cuz as you can see, there's still some unanswered questions and loose ends. This will highly likely get a part two, but this piece can also somehow be a standalone one-shot. ^^
> 
> I honestly wanted to write more about my other pairings, but just whenever I start doing so, a certain pair of Akalynn cosplayers always end up derailing my initial plans and end up redirecting me back to Akali x Evelynn. The mentioned cosplayers are DeFiNitElY nOt @rizzyyun and @RachAsakawa (from Twitter) , just sayin'.
> 
> Anyway, I hope I see you readers in whatever I upload next time! ^u^


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